lordswrans/lordswrans2025-07-23 conversation_13
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-23)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-07-23 conversation_13

Lord Porter of Spalding:To ask His Majesty's Government how many times spit hoods have been used on members of the public in each of the English territorial police forces in each of the last three full years for which figures are available. \p Lord Hanson of Flint: The Home Office collects and publishes information annually on the number of times a spit hood was used on members of the public by police force area in the statistical publication on the police use of force. The latest available data is for the year ending 31 March 2024 and can be accessed at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/police-use-of-force-statistics-april-2023-to-march-2024

The number of times a spit hood tactic (referred to as a spit and bite guard in the statistical publication) was used on members of the public, broken down by police force area, and by financial year for each of the last three years, can be found in data table 14 and is copied below.

From Table 14 of the Police use of force, England and Wales April 2023 to March 2024 statistical publication. The number of times spit and bite guard tactics were used by police force area for the last 3 years are included below. Data for 2024/25 will be published in November/December 2025.

Year

Police force

Tactic

Total number of tactics

2021/22

Total England and Wales

Spit and bite guard

8,281

2021/22

Avon & Somerset

Spit and bite guard

416

2021/22

Bedfordshire

Spit and bite guard

77

2021/22

Cambridgeshire

Spit and bite guard

87

2021/22

Cheshire

Spit and bite guard

113

2021/22

City of London

Spit and bite guard

17

2021/22

Cleveland

Spit and bite guard

12

2021/22

Cumbria

Spit and bite guard

46

2021/22

Derbyshire

Spit and bite guard

98

2021/22

Devon & Cornwall

Spit and bite guard

345

2021/22

Dorset

Spit and bite guard

145

2021/22

Durham

Spit and bite guard

46

2021/22

Dyfed-Powys

Spit and bite guard

32

2021/22

Essex

Spit and bite guard

333

2021/22

Gloucestershire

Spit and bite guard

45

2021/22

Greater Manchester

Spit and bite guard

636

2021/22

Gwent

Spit and bite guard

83

2021/22

Hampshire and Isle of Wight

Spit and bite guard

117

2021/22

Hertfordshire

Spit and bite guard

158

2021/22

Humberside

Spit and bite guard

115

2021/22

Kent

Spit and bite guard

225

2021/22

Lancashire

Spit and bite guard

92

2021/22

Leicestershire

Spit and bite guard

113

2021/22

Lincolnshire

Spit and bite guard

55

2021/22

Merseyside

Spit and bite guard

310

2021/22

Metropolitan

Spit and bite guard

1,557

2021/22

Norfolk

Spit and bite guard

115

2021/22

North Wales

Spit and bite guard

4

2021/22

North Yorkshire

Spit and bite guard

61

2021/22

Northamptonshire

Spit and bite guard

83

2021/22

Northumbria

Spit and bite guard

403

2021/22

Nottinghamshire

Spit and bite guard

83

2021/22

South Wales

Spit and bite guard

159

2021/22

South Yorkshire

Spit and bite guard

127

2021/22

Staffordshire

Spit and bite guard

79

2021/22

Suffolk

Spit and bite guard

68

2021/22

Surrey

Spit and bite guard

167

2021/22

Sussex

Spit and bite guard

222

2021/22

Thames Valley

Spit and bite guard

269

2021/22

Warwickshire

Spit and bite guard

43

2021/22

West Mercia

Spit and bite guard

163

2021/22

West Midlands

Spit and bite guard

502

2021/22

West Yorkshire

Spit and bite guard

399

2021/22

Wiltshire

Spit and bite guard

61

2022/23

Total England and Wales

Spit and bite guard

8,275

2022/23

Avon & Somerset

Spit and bite guard

379

2022/23

Bedfordshire

Spit and bite guard

86

2022/23

Cambridgeshire

Spit and bite guard

114

2022/23

Cheshire

Spit and bite guard

91

2022/23

City of London

Spit and bite guard

15

2022/23

Cleveland

Spit and bite guard

151

2022/23

Cumbria

Spit and bite guard

80

2022/23

Derbyshire

Spit and bite guard

101

2022/23

Devon & Cornwall

Spit and bite guard

309

2022/23

Dorset

Spit and bite guard

150

2022/23

Durham

Spit and bite guard

35

2022/23

Dyfed-Powys

Spit and bite guard

19

2022/23

Essex

Spit and bite guard

398

2022/23

Gloucestershire

Spit and bite guard

46

2022/23

Greater Manchester

Spit and bite guard

688

2022/23

Gwent

Spit and bite guard

103

2022/23

Hampshire and Isle of Wight

Spit and bite guard

104

2022/23

Hertfordshire

Spit and bite guard

146

2022/23

Humberside

Spit and bite guard

75

2022/23

Kent

Spit and bite guard

173

2022/23

Lancashire

Spit and bite guard

116

2022/23

Leicestershire

Spit and bite guard

107

2022/23

Lincolnshire

Spit and bite guard

52

2022/23

Merseyside

Spit and bite guard

278

2022/23

Metropolitan

Spit and bite guard

1,421

2022/23

Norfolk

Spit and bite guard

91

2022/23

North Wales

Spit and bite guard

32

2022/23

North Yorkshire

Spit and bite guard

66

2022/23

Northamptonshire

Spit and bite guard

88

2022/23

Northumbria

Spit and bite guard

423

2022/23

Nottinghamshire

Spit and bite guard

137

2022/23

South Wales

Spit and bite guard

150

2022/23

South Yorkshire

Spit and bite guard

104

2022/23

Staffordshire

Spit and bite guard

60

2022/23

Suffolk

Spit and bite guard

83

2022/23

Surrey

Spit and bite guard

134

2022/23

Sussex

Spit and bite guard

227

2022/23

Thames Valley

Spit and bite guard

276

2022/23

Warwickshire

Spit and bite guard

39

2022/23

West Mercia

Spit and bite guard

80

2022/23

West Midlands

Spit and bite guard

619

2022/23

West Yorkshire

Spit and bite guard

395

2022/23

Wiltshire

Spit and bite guard

34

2023/24

Total England and Wales

Spit and bite guard

9,844

2023/24

Avon & Somerset

Spit and bite guard

410

2023/24

Bedfordshire

Spit and bite guard

64

2023/24

British Transport Police

Spit and bite guard

359

2023/24

Cambridgeshire

Spit and bite guard

109

2023/24

Cheshire

Spit and bite guard

84

2023/24

City of London

Spit and bite guard

1

2023/24

Cleveland

Spit and bite guard

233

2023/24

Cumbria

Spit and bite guard

113

2023/24

Derbyshire

Spit and bite guard

91

2023/24

Devon & Cornwall

Spit and bite guard

260

2023/24

Dorset

Spit and bite guard

149

2023/24

Durham

Spit and bite guard

49

2023/24

Dyfed-Powys

Spit and bite guard

22

2023/24

Essex

Spit and bite guard

486

2023/24

Gloucestershire

Spit and bite guard

77

2023/24

Greater Manchester

Spit and bite guard

627

2023/24

Gwent

Spit and bite guard

124

2023/24

Hampshire and Isle of Wight

Spit and bite guard

153

2023/24

Hertfordshire

Spit and bite guard

170

2023/24

Humberside

Spit and bite guard

99

2023/24

Kent

Spit and bite guard

230

2023/24

Lancashire

Spit and bite guard

119

2023/24

Leicestershire

Spit and bite guard

118

2023/24

Lincolnshire

Spit and bite guard

36

2023/24

Merseyside

Spit and bite guard

361

2023/24

Metropolitan

Spit and bite guard

1,525

2023/24

Norfolk

Spit and bite guard

121

2023/24

North Wales

Spit and bite guard

36

2023/24

North Yorkshire

Spit and bite guard

103

2023/24

Northamptonshire

Spit and bite guard

142

2023/24

Northumbria

Spit and bite guard

521

2023/24

Nottinghamshire

Spit and bite guard

135

2023/24

South Wales

Spit and bite guard

165

2023/24

South Yorkshire

Spit and bite guard

133

2023/24

Staffordshire

Spit and bite guard

114

2023/24

Suffolk

Spit and bite guard

69

2023/24

Surrey

Spit and bite guard

179

2023/24

Sussex

Spit and bite guard

237

2023/24

Thames Valley

Spit and bite guard

422

2023/24

Warwickshire

Spit and bite guard

25

2023/24

West Mercia

Spit and bite guard

89

2023/24

West Midlands

Spit and bite guard

754

2023/24

West Yorkshire

Spit and bite guard

476

2023/24

Wiltshire

Spit and bite guard

54