The 'wholly unacceptable' Covid-19 assaults West Yorkshire Police have had to face

West Yorkshire Police Deputy Chief Constable Russ Foster, described the assaults as an attack on the front line and a severe hindrance to the current public health effort.

He said: “At a time when the country is in lockdown, West Yorkshire Police officers and staff put themselves at risk on a daily basis to reassure our communities and keep them safe.

“Assaults on officers and staff are wholly unacceptable at any time and I hope the courts acknowledge the severity of these people’s actions in sentencing them.

“Policing is a difficult enough job at the moment and officers and staff worry whether they might pick up the virus and may be taking it home to their loved ones. While we are taking whatever precautions we can, these attacks clearly heighten the risk and cause increased distress.

“I am really pleased that the West Yorkshire public’s response to lockdown so far has, on the whole, been fantastic. Most people are following the rules, staying home and helping to save lives.

“There have been some tremendous examples of community spirit and outpourings of support for the NHS and other carers.

“The actions of a few though, are disgraceful and I will continue to push for them to be charged and brought before the courts at every opportunity.

“I am tremendously proud of the work my officers and staff are doing and want to publicly thank every officer and staff member in West Yorkshire Police for their continued commitment at this difficult time.”

Thirty-three offences have been recorded where the officer/staff member has been coughed or spat at and the suspect has stated they are infected with Covid 19.

Covid related incidents to date:

* 30 of the assaults were committed against police officers and three against detention officers.

* Of the 33 offences, ten are still under investigation, 20 have resulted in charges/summons and three were not progressed to charging due to evidential difficulties.

* Of those that have been finalised at court, five people have been sentenced to 26 weeks imprisonment, two have resulted in custodial times of 12 and 16 weeks respectively and two had suspended sentences.

* Of the remaining cases one is currently remanded in custody with the others on bail.

* Most assaults result from a suspect being arrested for another offence, after which they have either assaulted the officer by coughing/spitting at them at the point of arrest or in the custody suite.

* The weekly average for assaults on officers/staff is approximately 20 over the yearly average for the past two weeks with over half of this increase being Covid 19 assaults.