A man has been jailed for stealing personal protective equipment from an ambulance.

Mark Manley, 35, of no fixed address, was jailed for six months at Croydon Magistrates' Court for stealing equipment from an ambulance and assaulting a security guard.

Officers said they were called on Saturday night to reports of a man having stolen from an ambulance at St Thomas Street, south-east London.

When challenged by security staff, police said the suspect assaulted one security worker and racially abused another.

He had taken a bag containing PPE from the vehicle, police said.

Items taken included masks, paper suits and hand gel, with some of the items rendered no longer usable due to contamination.

The man was detained by the security guards and patrolling British Transport Police.

Police said he was arrested on suspicion of theft, actual bodily harm and a racially-aggravated public order offence.

He was taken to a south London police station where he was charged with theft from a motor vehicle, a section 4 Public Order Act offence (causing fear or provocation of violence) and a racially aggravated Public Order Act offence.

Manley was jailed at Croydon Magistrates' Court on Monday, according to Scotland Yard.

Police said he was also charged with assault against an emergency worker in relation to the security guard, who sustained facial injuries which were not life-threatening.