Police officer patrolling Occupy protests receives threat to daughter

A frontline police officer manning a cordon at one of the protest sites received a telephone message threatening harm to his child, police sources said.

The message "threatened to chop off one arm and one leg of his daughter", a police source said. The threat was sent to the officer's mobile phone through the WhatsApp text messaging service after he received a number of nuisance calls.

The police source said crime squad officers were investigating the case and that no arrest had been made. "The sender apparently dug out the personal background and contact number of our colleague and his family members before sending out the threat," the source said.

Another source said the personal details of more than 100 officers had been posted in a chat room of Hong Kong Golden Forum, a popular website. Some posts included the force members' photographs.

The developments came days after a television crew filmed what appeared to be seven plain-clothes officers kicking and hitting a protester whose hands were bound with plastic ties. The officers have been suspended from their duties as a criminal investigation proceeds.

Meanwhile, two police unions - the Junior Police Officers' Association and Police Inspectors' Association - have established a support group to help officers affected by their work during the nearly four weeks of protests.