A COLWYN Bay police officer whose face was deliberately coughed on has told how living with a "potentially silent killer" left him anxious for the health of his family.

PC Rob Jones' assailant was jailed for 26 weeks at Mold Crown Court, convicted for assault and weaponising the virus after threatened infection with Covid-19

The officer, who has 16 years’ service with the force and is based in Colwyn Bay as part of a response team, called the incident ‘petrifying’ and revealed his colleagues are fearful of daily spitting and coughing attacks which might infect them with the virus.

PC Jones, who is also a North Wales Police Federation Rep, said:“We did everything by the textbook, but it still did not prevent this individual from coughing deliberately in my face.

“He was being detained in the back of a vehicle when he repeatedly started shouting: ‘I’m going to spit in your face.’ We intended to use a spit guard to protect us, but when we opened the door to take him into custody, he went straight for me.

“It all happened so quickly, and he deliberately coughed within a few inches of my face. I could even feel the warm air from his mouth, and it was horrifying.”

Following the attack, the officer’s first thoughts turned immediately to his close family. He added: “I have vulnerable individuals around me at home, but I’ll only qualify for Covid-19 testing if I display symptoms. It’s a constant worry, and one which is in the mind of every single police officer in the nation as the number of similar attacks increases.”

North Wales Police Federation General Secretary Mark Jones welcomed the jail sentence but warned the incident was representative of a growing trend.

He said: “We’ve seen more and more of these attacks where people are deliberately weaponising COVID-19 through spitting and coughing on colleagues.

“In Rob’s case, he now has to live with a potentially silent killer and worry about the potential consequences of this despicable attack on himself, fellow officers, and of course his family.

“This kind of cowardly assault is particularly terrifying. On a daily basis, it is becoming more of a threat to every frontline officer as they patrol the streets to help the NHS and fight this virus.

“That is why we must have lengthy jail sentences for this type of awful attack. We need the courts to step up to the mark and support colleagues who are doing their level best to protect the public.”