A police inspector, two police sergeants and two police constables were hospitalised and treated for the minor injuries they suffered during the assault.

In a statement, the police said it was at about 4.30am that they were informed about a fight that was under way near a bar in St George’s Road in Paceville. Officers rushed to the scene where they defused the situation and arrested a 21-year-old man from Qormi.

As the police officers were escorting him to the police car, they were assaulted by a group of men. Four men, aged between 21 and 36, from Ghaxaq, Zabbar, Zejtun and Qormi, were arrested.

The men are expected to be charged in court in the next few days – possibly today. St Julian’s police are investigating the incident.