Essex Police officer had blood spat in face

PC Rhys Linge had blood spat in his face in the line of duty

A policeman has expressed anger after a man who spat blood at his face was ordered to pay just £50 by a court.

PC Rhys Linge has hit out at the leniency shown by the courts and said his assailant - who has a previous conviction for assaulting an officer - will "feel like he's got away with it".

The incident, in Clacton-on-Sea, left PC Linge concerned for his health.

Chief Constable Stephen Kavanagh said society needed to "better protect our protectors".

PC Linge, 20, had been called to assist colleagues with a man causing criminal damage to a property on 31 August.

He had sustained a face injury which was bleeding heavily and blood was dripping into his mouth from a cut on his nose.

'Disgusting'

As he was being arrested, the suspect began to struggle and spat out at PC Linge, showering his face, glasses and radio in bloody saliva.

"It was disgusting," PC Linge said. "If people are doing this to police officers, they should be going away for a period of time.

"The colleagues I've spoken to feel the courts have let us down yet again, as they do quite often when it comes to assaults on officers."

Essex Police Chief Constable Stephen Kavanagh tweeted that it was "entirely reasonable to question how a second assault on a police constable gets a £50 fine".

He said he will also be writing to the Head of Local Magistrates about the leniency shown in this case.

Steve Taylor, Chairman of the Essex Police Federation, said the courts had "let us down".

The man who spat at PC Linge pleaded guilty to criminal damage at Colchester Magistrates Court.

He was given a 12-month community order, a rehabilitation activity requirement for 40 days and programme requirement for 29 days.