A POLICE suspect had to be rescued after sinking into thick mud while fleeing officers following a reported holiday park assault.

Police were called to Orchards Holiday Village in Point Clear, St Osyth, at about 12.10am this morning after reports of an assault.

When they arrived at the site the suspect, a man in his 20s, fled from officers and dashed across onto the beach.

The officers chased after him and the police helicopter was launched to help with the search.

The chopper’s spotlight located the man hiding in the marshes by the beach.

Sergeant Jonathan Evans, sergeant Alex Southgate and PC Jamie Richmond were on the ground and moved in towards the suspect.

But the man made a run for it again, trying to wade across the mud but becoming stuck.

He sank up to his chest, before brave officers reached his position and stopped him sinking any further.

They pulled him out but the man was suffering from hypothermia and collapsed into the mud again.

Clacton coastguard rescue team and firefighters arrived just after 1.20am. They managed to get the suspect out of the marshes and into a waiting ambulance, which took him to hospital.

Police enquiries into the incident are still ongoing but no arrests have been made so far.