THIS is the moment a man PUNCHES a police officer in the face as he's arrested on the London tube over a face mask row.

The shocking incident, which was captured on camera, took place on the District Line on Tuesday in front of shocked onlookers.

Video footage recorded by a witness and shared online shows the man – who is dressed head-to-toe in black and wearing white trainers – sitting on an empty row of seats on the busy carriage.

The clothed officer is trying to place handcuffs on him but the man, whose identity is not known, keeps resisting.

As the officer tries to restrain him, the man punches him in the face and shouts: "Don't touch me!"

The officer then pulls out his baton and demands that the man give him his wrists so that he can cuff him.

"You just punched me in the face," he tells the man, who in turn accuses the officer of "strangling" him.

"Do as you're told!" the police officer shouts, as a second male passenger stands up and tried to reason with the attacker.

At this point, the train conductor makes an announcement that a passenger alarm has been sounded.

The officer again pleads with the man several times to give him his wrists, and tells him to get on the floor and spread his arms out so that he "cuff you safely".

But the attacker refuses to do so and repeatedly tells him: "If you hit me, I'll do you for assault," before accusing the officer of putting his hands over his head.

The conductor then makes an announcement that the train will be moving into the next station where further assistance will be called in.

At this point, a female passenger can be heard telling another passenger: "He might be exempt, you don't know, so you shouldn't judge.

"He's getting beaten up for nothing because he might be exempt."

Finally, the police officer takes hold of the man's arm and pulls him out of his seat before placing his hands behind his back and cuffing him.

The officer then proceeds to read him his rights.

As he does so, the angry man repeatedly tells him; "You're finished, that's assault" as the officer places a hand on his back to push him against the wall of the train.

"That's assault, that's the second time," he says, adding "you're fired, you're gone, you're finished."

In a statement: The British Transport Police said: "Officers were called to Acton Town underground station at 7.41pm on Tuesday 6 July following reports of an assault on board a train.

"A 26-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of assaulting an emergency worker and conveyed to police custody where he remains.

"One person was taken to hospital for treatment to minor injuries.

"Enquiries into this incident are ongoing.”

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