A YOB who spat at a police officer was spared a prison spell.

Jeremy Flore launched an attack at the Tesco store in Hazelwick, Crawley.

The 21-year-old assaulted David Bettell, and used threatening or abusive behaviour.

He also assaulted a PC by spitting at them, Crawley Magistrates’ Court heard.

Flore admitted three charges last month relating to the incident.

Magistrate Saiqa Amin noted the offence was “aggravated” by the fact it was an “assault on an emergency worker that involved spitting, with saliva landing on the victim”.

Flore, of Albany Road, Crawley, was told to pay £200 in compensation to the officer over the incident which happened on February 17 this year.

He admitted assault, assaulting an emergency worker, and using threatening or abusive behaviour likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress.

It revealed he was previously before the court in January this year for stealing food worth £1.50 from Poundland in Haywards Heath in September last year.

This time he was given a 16-week suspended prison sentence by the court at the hearing last month.