A police officer was rushed to hospital after a woman claiming to be “contagious” spat in his mouth in Surbiton.

The policeman underwent urgent medical attention and is facing an anxious wait for test results after he was attacked in a Surbiton street on Monday at 10pm.

Officers were called to the address by paramedics from London Ambulance Service, who reported a woman behaving aggressively towards them.

She spat in the eye and mouth of a policeman as he tried to calm her down, telling officers she was “contagious” but refusing to say what with.

Borough Commander Tony Enoch said: “I would like to praise the bravery and resilience of my officers that dealt with this incident last night.

“We are doing all we can to support the injured officer and I will personally ensure that he gets the best possible care.

“I will not tolerate my officers being assaulted, especially in this sort of method. I will ensure that we push for the strongest possible sentence”.

The policeman was rushed to hospital to determine if he had contracted a virus and is set to receive the results this week.

The woman was also taken to hospital for treatment.

Officers are still investigating.