Two police officers investigating reports of an-eight-year-old boy who was setting off fireworks were assaulted on an East End estate.

A police sergeant suffered a cracked rib and cut lip during the incident at the Ocean estate on Mile End on Bonfire Night.

Two men aged 29 and 21 were arrested for assault at Essian Street after the incident.

However police said that their extra presence in the run-up to Bonfire Night and the Diwali Festival of Light which both fell on November 5 led to a relatively trouble free weekend.

Friday night was very busy with a high volume of calls to the emergency services but police reported a five per cent drop in calls compared with the fortnight leading up to Bonfire Night last year. They also said that reports of crime had dropped by 17 per cent for the same period compared with 2009 figures.

The firework weekend culminated with the free firework display in Victoria Park which attracted 90,000 spectators.

Inspector Stephen Manger from the Safer Neighbourhoods team said: “Considerable planning had been undertaken by the police, local authority, Fire Brigade and other agencies to ensure that this year’s fireworks period was a safe and trouble free event.”