Hot tempers and cold beer are proving to be a dangerous combination for police, as several officers have been attacked by drunks over the past few weeks, including a 60-year-old woman who bit two cops.

Drunken Shanghai residents have even caused problems for police in neighboring cities.

Last week, police in Nanjing of Jiangsu Province were attacked by seven drunks, five of whom were from Shanghai, after pulling them over for drunk driving. All seven will be held in police custody for at least 30 days for preventing police from performing their duties.

Police had to use pepper spray to end the attack after one woman bit an officer's hand and kicked another in the crotch.

The incident began last Monday night when police pulled over two cars driving erratically.

As an officer bent over the hood of one of the cars, the driver suddenly hit the accelerator, carrying the policeman for 10 meters before stopping the vehicle.

Police finally managed to get the drunks back to the police station, where the real chaos began.

As well as attacking police, the group allegedly threatened several witnesses who had gone to the police station to help in the investigation.

Police said they had drunk three bottles of liquor and more than 20 bottles of beer before heading out to a club to continue their night of fun. They were pulled over along the way.

In Shanghai, the Yangpu District People's Court said it has sentenced several people for beating policemen after getting drunk recently.

In early hours of June 12, a woman got into a loud argument with her boyfriend after drinking. Her neighbor called police.

When police arrived, the boyfriend kicked one in the crotch. The officer urinated blood for several days after the incident. The boyfriend, whom police would only identify by the surname Han, was sentenced to six months in jail.

On the night of June 2, a sales manager surnamed Liu was involved in a traffic accident after having a few drinks with dinner. He refused to take a breathalyzer test when police arrived.

During a struggle with police, Liu punched one officer in the face several times, leaving him with a bloody nose and black eye. Liu was given four months in jail.

In May, a 60-year-old woman beat three policemen who came to stop her fighting with others.

The woman's son had invited some friends over for dinner at their home and they all had several drinks. As the friends were getting ready to leave, the woman, surnamed Xia, noticed her cell phone was missing and accused them of stealing it.

A fight broke out and neighbors called police. When three officers arrived, Xia began to beat them, biting two. She was given 75 days behind bars.

(Shanghai Daily July 30, 2007)