Twelve police officers have assaulted in Essex over the weekend in five different incidents. Officers responded to calls for help at incidents in Clacton, Chelmsford, Rayleigh Southend and South Ockendon but came away injured.

In one incident, three of our officers were kicked and head-butted by a woman in Galey Green, South Ockendon, after police responded to a disturbance at around 8.10pm on Saturday, November 4.

One of the officers had to have anti-viral treatment in hospital after the woman spat in his face.

Rachael Jeffrey, 25, of Arcany Road, South Ockendon, was jailed to 29 weeks in prison at Colchester Magistrates’ Court yesterday after pleading guilty to three counts of assaulting an officer in the execution of their duty and two counts of criminal damage after kicking a fence and police car. Jeffrey was also ordered to pay £300 in compensation.