North Wales Police Federation rep slams ‘vile individuals’ who coughed and spat at officers during pandemic

A police federation representative has slammed “vile individuals” who have coughed and spat at officers in the region during the coronavirus pandemic.

North Wales Police has reported a number of incidents where people have put the health of officers at risk.

Mark Jones, secretary of the North Wales Police Federation, said it had resulted in a number of them having to be tested for Covid-19.

He also took the opportunity to praise the work of police officers in dealing with the impact of the virus, which he said was “nothing like we have ever experienced before”.

Writing in the federation’s Your Voice magazine, he said: “Policing does what it does best; it responds to an ever-changing and dynamic situation to deal with the circumstances presented.

“Police officers are experts at this – it’s what we do. That said, there have still been those people out there who have no respect or consideration and are prepared to assault, attack and disgustingly spit and cough at our brave emergency service workers.

“To weaponise coronavirus is, quite frankly, despicable. During the pandemic response our amazing NHS heroes have worked tirelessly to care for us.

“It is our job in the police to keep our NHS workers safe so that they can continue treating the sick.

“How can we do this if police officers are being spat on, coughed on and then having to be tested for coronavirus themselves?

“Even worse for them, they can potentially take home a killer virus to their loved ones.

“As with all assaults on police officers, we demand and expect the Crown Prosecution Service to aggressively pursue prosecutions and for the courts to use their full sentencing powers to hand out tough sentences for those vile individuals who attack our emergency services.”

North.Wales has reported on a number of cases where officers have been coughed or spat at during the pandemic.

They include a Holyhead woman who was jailed for six months for deliberately coughing on a police officer whilst claiming to have the coronavirus and an officer who was deliberately coughed on and threatened with Covid-19 and told how the experience left him anxious for the health of his family.

North Wales Police has separately warned that people who carry out such actions could face up to two years in prison.