Armed police officers who worked alongside a copper involved in an altercation at Manchester Airport have refused to carry weapons on duty in protest of the handling of the incident.

The protest comes after the male officer was suspended, with a criminal investigation also being announced.

A source close to the firearms unit told The Sun: “There is real anger at the way this has been handled and they didn’t feel they could safely carry their weapons after the officer was suspended.”

CCTV footage showed Fahir Khan, 19, and his brother Amaad Khan, 25, striking officers before the altercation escalated further.

Colleagues also believe the officer was "disorientated" from being punched in the face amid fear his gun had also been taken.

A female police officer sustained a broken nose after being struck by Fahir.

The latest video shows a man throwing a barrage of at least six punches at an officer and the first man punching a female police officer in the face.

Greater Manchester Police yesterday declined to say why the Rochdale brothers had not been charged.

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However, it is understood that charges may take longer due to the publicity of the case.

The incident on Tuesday sparked protests in Manchester, with hundreds gathering outside Rochdale Police Station.

Despite the officer receiving criticism, Reform UK MP Lee Anderson called for his to be "commended" for his actions.

He said: “The message I’m getting loud and clear from my constituents is that they’re fed up with seeing police dancing around rainbows and being nice to people and running off from rioters.

“They want the police to do their job. And I think these police yesterday should be commended, in fact, I’d give them a medal.”

Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, who was critical of Anderson's intervention, also urged people to “take a step back” after the new footage was released on Saturday.

He added: “It’s a complicated situation — a very violent situation, actually — and there were issues on both sides.

“That’s why I asked other people not to rush to judgment because of the complexity of it and, simply, everyone who’s having their say, nobody has got all of the facts. Nobody is in possession of the complete picture.”