Police in the North East used spit hoods hundreds of times during the pandemic - as criminals tried to “weaponise” their saliva to make officers fearful they could infect them with coronavirus.
Spit hoods are breathable head coverings that prevent a suspect from spitting at officers and reduce the risk of biting or passing on transmissible diseases.
ONS data shows the use of spit and bite guards soared in 2020/21, with officers across Northumbria Police and Durham Constabulary using them on 522 occasions in total.
