A 30-year-old thief from Letchworth who racially abused one police officer and spat at a second, claiming to have HIV, has been jailed.

Luke Ward, of High Avenue, was jailed for four weeks on Saturday after a series of crimes also including theft and criminal damage in Hitchin on Thursday.

Magistrates at Hatfield Remand Court heard that Ward stole a bottle of vodka and three joints of meat from Asda in Hitchin’s Queen Street, and damaged a window at Cannon House on the opposite side of the road.

It was at Cannon House that he spat at a police officer, stating that he had HIV.

Also on Thursday, Ward stole a bottle each of gin and whiskey from Hitchin’s Waitrose store, two aftershaves from Boots in the town’s High Street, and hurled racist abuse at a second police officer.

Ward admitted all counts, as well as breaching a conditional discharge order imposed on January 3 for harassment.

As well as jailing Ward – who the court noted was only recently released from prison – chairman of the bench Keith Smith ordered him to pay a total of £265 in compensation for the broken window, racist abuse and theft from Asda, as well as fines totalling £100 and £85 costs. The overall total is £450.