Detectives have now released the picture of a man they believe was the main agressor in the assault.
He is described as being mixed race, in his late teens to early 20s, of medium build, 5ft 8in tall with short dark hair and is believed to have a small white dog.
The attack happened at about 2pm on Thursday 9 April, when the plain clothes officer was patrolling the Higher Broughton area on his push bike.
The officer spotted a man he suspected of dealing drugs but the suspect ran away into a nearby garden where the officer detained him.
Naseer Ahmed, 20, of Cardinal Street in Cheetham Hill has been charged with obstructing a police officer and has been remanded for trial on 18 May 2015.
But when the officer came back out from the garden into a nearby alleyway, five men jumped him, pushed him up against a wall and stole his mountain bike – a Black Giant XTC.
The officer reported the men “constantly had their fists up ready to punch”.
He managed to break free and run out into the street, where he saw a number of other teenagers who had congregated and were all shouting things like ‘Get his bike, get his baton’.
One teenager, who is described as being white, of medium build and wearing a two-tone hooded jacket, picked up the policeman’s bike and rode off before police patrols arrived.
Detective Sergeant Claire Rawcliffe from Salford division, said: “This officer was attacked by a group of men while he was doing his job. They saw that he had detained their friend and were doing everything they could so he could get away.
“These men had no respect for the police, when he told them he was a police officer this only antagonised them and they continued to attack him and stole his bike.
“Luckily the officer was not seriously injured, but this incident once again highlights the dangers police officers face on a daily basis while they are protecting the communities of Greater Manchester.
“I want to hear from anyone who has any information about the incident to come forward and speak to me.
“I know the CCTV image of one of the suspects is not of great quality, but if you recognise this man or any of the other suspects from their descriptions, please call the police before this happens again.”
Anyone with any information is asked to call police on 0161 856 5235 or independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
