A police officer told a jury how burglars kicked and punched him and tried to pull his ear off after he caught them carrying out an early morning raid on an Oxford shop.

Charles Brown, 34, of no fixed address, and Simon Harris, 31, of Barns Road, Cowley, have denied attempting to wound Pc Paul Davies with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and are standing trial at Oxford Crown Court.

They have both admitted the burglary at the Adams store, Templars Square, Cowley, in the early hours of Tuesday, January 24, this year, the jury was told yesterday.

John Simmons, prosecuting, said police dog handler Pc Davies had already been to the store with his dog Taz about 25 minutes before the raid took place, after CCTV operators spotted men acting suspiciously.

He said when he went back without Taz at 3.36am, he found Harris crouching by a children's ride, trying to prize open the money box.

He said: "Pc Davies shone his torch at Harris and said: 'police, stay where you are'.

"Mr Harris leaped to his feet and tried to run away, and Pc Davies tried to restrain him."

He said Harris lashed out at Pc Davies several times with the screwdriver, and shouted for his friend, Brown, to help him.

He said: "Mr Brown ran from another part of the shop and tried to help his friend get away from the police officer."

Pc Davies said: "He (Harris) started lashing out at me. He was striking out at me with a screwdriver in his hand.

"I was trying to fend him off and get hold of the hand in which he had the screwdriver, to protect myself."

He became aware of a second man, Brown, running towards him.

The officer told the court: "He started punching and kicking at me, and I noticed he was holding a long-handled item in one of his hands. At that stage, I thought it was a knife."

Mr Simmons said the item Brown used was a chisel.

Pc Davies said: "They were both lashing out with both hands and hitting me around the upper body."

He said the burglars forced their way out of the back of the shop, dragging him with them, before Brown ran off and Harris continued punching him.

Pc Davies said: "He punched me on the side of the head and knocked me to the ground.

"I still had hold of Harris, and he fell to the ground with me. I was still trying to restrain him.

"Mr Brown was kicking at me and landed several kicks to my upper body as I lay on the ground.

"I still had hold of Mr Harris, and he managed to get back to his feet. He then took hold of my right ear and attempted to pull it off, that was how it felt."

He said more officers then turned up and arrested Harris and Brown. Pc Davies added: "I was out of breath, tired and shocked by what had taken place."

He said he was left in pain and in shock at the assault.

Mr Simmons earlier told the jury: "Why is this attempted wounding? Why wasn't grievous bodily harm inflicted?

"As his (Pc Davies') good luck would have it, he was wearing a stab proof vest."

The trial continues.