AN off-duty West Australian policeman has been beaten up, suffering a suspected broken nose, when he tried to stop a graffiti vandal in central Perth.
It was one of several assaults on police officers in Perth and Kalgoorlie over the weekend.
Just after midnight (WST) today, an off-duty officer saw a man spraying graffiti on a pole in Hay Street and advised him to stop.
But the vandal lashed out and became even more aggressive when the officer identified himself as a policeman, a police spokeswoman said.
She said three other men joined in the assault and pushed the off-duty officer's girlfriend around.
The officer, who suffered extensive bruising and a possible broken nose, would be off work for some time, the spokeswoman said.
Police have yet to make any arrests and are seeking witnesses to the incident.