The number of reported physical and verbal attacks against police officers rose to 4,757 in 2012, compared with 4,161 a year earlier, according to figures published by the police on Tuesday.

The reported incidents range from spitting and verbal abuse to physical attacks and attempted murder.

According to the police, it is not clear if the number of incidents has increased or whether more are being reported.

In the first three months of this year, police officers reported 935 incidents, a slight drop on the year earlier period. This may have to do with the time of year and the weather, a police spokesman told Nos news.

Violence against police officers increases as the days get longer and the weather warmer, he said. There are more people drinking alcohol on the streets and more events in the cities.