A TWELVE-year-old girl who kicked a policeman in the groin and injured another later offered to clean their cars to apologise.

At a youth court hearing in Salisbury on Thursday, Nick Barr said the assaults had happened in September, after the girl ran away from a children’s home.

The girl, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, was reported missing and later found by police.

But Nick Barr, prosecuting, said she became aggressive and started trying to harm herself so the officers restrained her.

The girl was returned to the home, but went upstairs and could be heard “throwing things around”, before later leaving again.

When police found her, the girl lashed out, kicking one officer in the groin and “causing him some pain,” Mr Barr said.

She also picked up a pair of handcuffs and threw them at another officer’s face, cutting his chin.

Mr Barr said the girl made “full and frank” admissions when interviewed and apologised to the officers for what happened when she was “upset and emotional”.

The girl pleaded guilty to two counts of assaulting a police officer on October 5.

Defending, Matthew George said the girl found it hard to speak to strangers.

He said her history of offending “isn’t a particularly good one”, adding that most of the offences had been against police officers.

Mr George said since the incident the girl had apologised to the officers and had “been down to the police station to clean some cars as reparation”.

“I think she’s in a position where she realises that people are trying to help her,” he said.

“She’s still growing and trying to learn how to cope with her own emotions, but she’s made a great step.”

The girl had previously been referred to a youth offender panel. A member of the youth offending team said: “The work we have done is positive so far and I think we do have a long way to go.”

Magistrate Richard Trahair said: “You have been round to clean cars. It’s good, it’s excellent. Nonetheless, these two police officers were hurt and it’s right that you should be punished.”

He extended the girl’s ongoing six-month referral order by one month.