Leicestershire Police officers are now armed with 'spit guards'

Police officers in Leicestershire are now equipped with mesh guards to place over the mouths of people who spit at them.

The masks – known as spit guards – have been made available to front line officers.

They are designed to be placed over the mouths of detainees who try to spit at officers and police staff.

Saliva can carry a number of infectious diseases, such as hepatitis and can mean weeks of medication to prevent infection.

A survey carried out on local officers concluded 96% were in favour of spit guards being introduced. It also revealed one in four officers had been spat at while on duty.