Footage has shown the moment a group of off-duty police officers ditched their post-work drinks to tackle a knifeman without protective equipment.

The Metropolitan Police officers were out socialising at a bar in Elephant Park, south London, on July 21 last year when they spotted a violent altercation happening nearby.

Two groups of males were fighting when one of them was struck over the head and a dog was set on him, before Joseph Jimenez, 20, repeatedly tried to slash him with a large knife.

The officers charged towards Jimenez, who threw the knife at them and attempted to run away, before he was tackled and arrested.

Detective Inspector Jon Summers said: “The team had finished a long, hard week at work and were enjoying some well-earned down time together when the events unfolded.

“They had been off duty and were without any form of protective equipment such as batons or Pava spray, or a police radio.

“Still they intervened, working tactically together in co-ordinating their approach to close off the suspect’s possible escape route, and swiftly arrested him.

“The heroism shown by these officers is nothing short of exceptional. They placed themselves at real risk of serious injury in order to prevent serious harm and to apprehend an offender.

“It is actions such as these that demonstrate the true heart and soul of the Met. They are a credit to themselves, the unit and MPS as a whole.”

On Wednesday, Jimenez, of Baxter Road in Dalston, appeared at Croydon Crown Court having pleaded guilty to affray and possession of a bladed article, Scotland Yard said.

He was sentenced to eight months at a young offenders’ institute.

Chief Superintendent Seb Adjei-Addoh, lead for policing in Southwark and Lambeth, added: “While we expect officers to protect the public, we expect this of them whilst on duty – with proper protective equipment and support.

“These officers had none of this equipment and were not aware of whether support was on the way or not. They had no way of knowing who had weapons or how many.

“They simply responded to what they could see – had they not acted, a member of the public may have been caused serious or potentially fatal injuries.

“On seeing the spontaneous intervention of the off duty officers all other protagonists fled the scene and a large scale public disorder incident was averted.

“We are incredibly proud of them.”