Police defend themselves over shock video saying disabled man attacked them ...

A police force has defended itself over a shocking video which shows officers repeatedly hitting a restrained man over the head, saying the disabled mental health patient attacked them first - with his walking sticks.

This evening West Midlands Police said several officers were injured in the incident, including two who had to be treated for the effects of their own CS spray.

The force said the man, whom they said had attacked a doctor during an examination before the police arrived, had been arrested on suspicion of assault but had not sustained any injuries.

The force has now referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).

In the video which surfaced on Sunday, a shaven-headed white officer is seen hitting a middle-aged man with dark skin eight times over the head while holding something - believed to be a CS cannister - in his fist.

The man is being restrained by the policeman and another officer, with both wrists held tight to prevent him from protecting his head from the blows raining down. 

A crutch can be seen on the floor of the room, before another officer shuts the door preventing the cameraman capturing any more of the incident, which took place on February 25. 

Yesterday the force said it was reviewing body cam footage, but would not initially say when the incident happened, where it took place, or how many officers are being investigated.

The eight second video shows four male officers and one female officer attempting to detain the man inside a room which appears to have been trashed.

At first one of the officers sprays CS gas into the air before appearing to curl the canister into his clenched fist before repeatedly hammering it down on the man's head.