A MAN has been charged with the attempted murder of a police officer who was repeatedly stabbed in an alleyway outside a pub.

Andrew Beadie, 20, of Claremont Road, Basildon and Janine Morris, 34 of Rainhill Way, Bow, were both charged on Sunday with attempted murder and two counts of affray.

Detectives from the Metropolitan Police's Homicide and Major Crime Command launched an investigation after a plain clothes police officer was stabbed near the Bow Bells Pub, in Bow Road, London, on November 22.

The officer, in his 40s, was stabbed at least three times and taken to a hospital in east London, where he remains in a non-life threatening condition.

Following the attack, Det Ch Insp Gary Holmes made an appeal for witnesses to come forward.

He said: "I'd like to hear from any witnesses who saw or heard something that may help us catch the people responsible for attacking this police officer.

"At this stage we have established that the group of four youths had arrived in the area via the DLR, getting off at Bow Church Station.

“The group was made up of three males and one female. Did you see them leaving the station or in the surrounding area?

"We do not believe that the group were aware that the man they attacked was a police officer, but that one of the males in the group started a verbal row with the officer which culminated in him being stabbed at least three times.

"The officer remains in hospital in a serious condition, recovering from his injuries.

"I would like to appeal directly to the group responsible for the attack and urge them to contact police and hand themselves in."

Police believe the group was also involved in another incident that evening where a motorist was threatened with a knife while sat in his car in Purdy Street, near to Devons Road DLR station.

The incident happened at about 9pm and the man was not injured.

The plain clothes officer, who is attached to the Specialist Crime and Operations Unit, was working on what police described as a “pre-planned” operation.

Following the stabbing, a customer from the pub told the Evening Standard that uniformed officers were on the scene within seconds and ordered the doors to be locked.

She said: “We aren’t allowed out of the pub. We’ve seen someone being wheeled away with what looks like a stab wound.”

The investigation is being carried by detectives from the Homicide and Major Crime Command.

Anyone with information concerning this incident is asked to call police on 020 8345 1572 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.