A 'VILE' burglar who threw a cup of urine in the face of a prison officer and spat in a Worcester police officer's eye during the pandemic will spend even longer behind bars.

Anthony Layton of Pound Bank Road, Malvern also burgled a home in Malvern while armed with a blade, wrecked a police room in Worcester and racially abused a Scottish police officer in the city.

The 33-year-old admitted administering a noxious substance with intent (the urine) at HMP Featherstone, burglary in Malvern, having an article with a blade or point, assaulting an emergency worker in the execution of his duties at Worcester hospital and criminal damage after causing more than £5,000 of damage to a room at Worcester Police Station as he tried to escape onto the roof.

A fellow inmate was so disgusted by Layton's urine attack, known as 'potting' in prison slang, that he offered the prison officer a towel.

Layton, who sat sour-faced in the prison videolink room, was jailed at Worcester Crown Court on Friday by Judge James Burbidge QC.

Daniel Oscroft, prosecuting, said the burglary had happened in Lower Quest Hills Road in Malvern on December 1 last year when the homeowners were still inside the property. The raider 'ransacked' their home before riding off on a lady's bike.

Layton had forced open the rear French doors to gain entry. Mobile phones, a wallet and cigarettes were also taken.

Officers stopped him in Pickersleigh Road, Malvern at around 1.30am that morning with the bike and £45 in cash. When Layton was stopped he was heard to say: "I really wanted that bike."

When he was searched at Worcester Police Station a razor blade was found in his shoe which he must have had on him during the burglary.

Officers arrested him for having a bladed article and seized the item. Layton replied: "I need that man!"

However, because Layton had taken a suspected overdose he had to be taken to Worcestershire Royal Hospital in Worcester where he spat in the face and eye of a police constable.

Mr Oscroft described the defendant making 'various threats' and calling a female paramedic 'a bitch'. "He became more and more aggressive and a spit hood had to be put on him" said Mr Oscroft.

He also described Layton 'making numerous attempts to urinate in the rear cage of the police van'.

Once at the police station he smashed the ceiling tiles of a police room, causing more than £5,000 of damage which required 'extensive repairs'. During his stay in custody he was also racially abusive towards a Scottish officer.

The incident at HMP Featherstone occurred on September 21, 2019 after the defendant said he needed medication. The urine attack happened when he was returned to his cell.

"There was a cup of urine which he picked up and threw into the face of the prison officer" said the prosecutor.

The court heard that the defendant had previous convictions for several house burglaries, attempted burglaries, racially aggravated criminal damage, failing to surrender, and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

Judge Burbidge said of the prison attack: "In the vernacular what you did is called 'potting'. You applied a noxious substance to him in that you threw a cup of urine you had picked up right in his face. Another inmate was disgusted with that and immediately gave him a towel."

He said of the attack on the police officer at Worcester hospital: "Again you acted in a vile and disgusting way towards him, deliberately spitting in the face and eye of a police constable. It has particular overtones during Covid."

The judge jailed him for four years and 10 months.