ATTACKS on police in North Yorkshire hit a four-year high during the pandemic - with some offenders making "a deliberate attempt" to infect officers with coronavirus.

North Yorkshire Police condemned the spike in assaults after recording 655 attacks on staff and officers between April 2020 and March 2021.

That was a significant increase from the 456 reported the previous year, and the highest number since comparable figures began in 2017-18.

Of the attacks between 2020-21, 654 resulted in an injury to the officer - compared to 443 the previous year.

North Yorkshire Police Chief Constable Lisa Winward said: “The pandemic has presented exceptional challenges for everyone, not least those of us who work in policing.

“And while assaults against emergency services workers are always despicable, they’re particularly awful when you consider the sacrifices our officers and staff have made during the last 18 months.

“Every single day, many have had to put themselves in situations which they know increase the risk of them contracting a potentially fatal illness.

“In fact, some assaults have been a deliberate attempt to infect officers and staff, through spitting and coughing.

“Some of our employees have had to make heart-wrenching decisions, such as spending weeks living apart from vulnerable loved ones to prevent the spread of Covid.

“These sacrifices give you some idea of the dedication and sense of duty that is, thankfully, abundant in policing."

Read more: Criminals have been 'weaponising the virus', police union warns

It comes after a jump in attacks across England and Wales where recorded assaults on officers increased by 14 per cent during the pandemic to around 37,000.

11,200 of those officers were injured.

The creation of “assault with injury on a constable” as a new category of crime five years ago has been credited as the reason for more officers reporting attacks.

North Yorkshire Police said improved reporting, investigation and support systems for officers had seen more come forward. Meanwhile the force told how the number of assaults could be linked to a corresponding rise in domestic violence and mental health incidents.

However, the Home Office said the figures are still likely to be an underestimate because the categories showing an attack on an officer do not include more serious offences such as attempted murder.

Chief Constable Winward continued: "This process was recently reinforced to give officers and staff even more confidence when they report an assault, which may account for some of the rise.

"They leave significant psychological as well as physical scars.

"A rise in this type of crime raises complex questions, but my message to perpetrators is very simple – if you assault my colleagues or any other emergency services worker, I will ensure you are dealt with to the fullest extent of the law, which will frequently end in a prison sentence.

"That’s how serious this offence is."

The Home Office has provided funding for over 7,000 taser devices to help protect officers across England and Wales.

A spokesperson for the Home Office said: "Our brave police officers go to work every day to protect the public and being attacked should never be part of the job.

"Anyone who commits these despicable assaults should expect to face the full force of the law."