POLICE are hunting a youth who spat at school staff after trying to break in by climbing over a fence.

Essex Police have confirmed they were called to Basildon Lower Academy, in Timberlog Close, shortly after 3pm on Monday.

The force has confirmed a man was spat at by a youth who did not attend the school but had attempted to clamber over the six-foot perimeter fencing.

Police have yet to make any arrests but are investigating the incident.

School governor Keith Bobbin, a former Essex County Council councillor for Pitsea, said the school had done a “fantastic job” keeping pupils safe.

He said: “The school is very strict with its safeguarding policies and does a fantastic job keeping pupils safe and keeping an eye on the local community.”

Mr Bobbins, who has been a school governor for more than 30 years, added: “It’s a shame there was some trouble but the school has dealt with it and now it is a police matter.”

An Essex Police spokesman said: “We were called to Basildon Lower Academy, in Timberlog Close, Basildon, shortly before 3pm yesterday, Monday, February 7.

“It was reported that a man had been spat at by a person who was trying to climb over a fence. “Thankfully, he did not sustain any injuries.

“No arrests have been made and our enquiries are ongoing.”

At this stage, it is unclear whether the incident is linked to a robbery in Luncies Road, about half a mile away, at 4pm.

Police have said a group of people entered Premier supermarket before stealing items from the shelves and bolting for the doors, injuring a woman in the process.

Detectives investigating the spitting will be bolstered by new laws introduced in July of last year when the UK’s Sentencing Council issued guidelines toughening punishments against people who spit or cough on someone due to the increased risk to health from Covid-19.

As a result, deliberate spitting or coughing that results in fear of the spread of disease are now treated as aggravating factors by judges when they are sentencing offenders.