A 35-year-old man was arrested on Tuesday for biting a police officer on a bicycle who was trying to arrest him, police said on Tuesday.

The incident took place at noon, during a check on an abandoned building near Heroes Square in Limassol, when an unknown person was seen fleeing the scene.

The suspect was immobilised by the police officer he bit and injured.

Other members of the force arrived at the scene to arrest the 35-year-old, while the injured officer was taken for examination.

It was later determined the suspect was a 35-year-old Nigerian national, whose asylum application was rejected, and has been residing in Cyprus illegally.

The man was detained on suspicion of assaulting a police officer, resisting lawful arrest, and illegal stay.