A man jailed for eight months for spitting at Cambridgeshire police officers after claiming he had coronavirus is part of a worrying trend, says a senior officer.

Detective Inspector Claire Hewson said: “This is not an isolated incident.

“We are seeing more occasions where people are lashing out at emergency service workers.”

She hoped the eight-month sentence imposed on Wesley Upton of St Neots by Cambridge magistrates on April 2, serves as a “warning for anyone thinking of acting in a similar way”. His behaviour, she said, was “vile”.

Upton, 26, was arrested for breaching a court order. He became aggressive and began to hurl abuse, His vitriolic rant escalated, as he began to shout racist abuse, magistrates heard.

He told cops: “I’m going to give you corona, whoever comes near me I will spit at. Whoever opens my cell flap, I will spit in their face.”