A man who claimed he had coronavirus before spitting at police officers has been jailed.

Wesley Upton, 26, was arrested at a property in St Neots after officers received reports he had breached a court order.

As he was taken into custody, Upton became increasingly aggressive, and began to hurl abuse at the arresting officers.

He shouted: “I’m going to spit at all of you, I’ve got corona, you will all be dead.”

As he was booked into custody, Upton’s vitriolic rant escalated, as he began to shout racist abuse at officers.

While answering the detention officer’s questions, he continually turned to continue his campaign of verbal abuse, shouting: “I’m going to give you corona, whoever comes near my door I will spit at. Whoever opens my cell flap, I will spit in their face.”

Upton, of Child’s Pond Road, St Neots, was jailed yesterday (April 2) for eight months at Cambridge Magistrate’s Court.

Detective Inspector Claire Hewson said: “I would like to commend the professionalism and composure the arresting officers displayed while dealing with Upton’s vile behaviour.

“This is not an isolated incident. We are seeing more occasions where members of the public are lashing out at emergency service workers who are doing their best to keep the public safe.

“I hope this sentence serves as a warning for anyone thinking of acting in a similar way.”