A mother of three was left horrified when a woman spat in her face in a Chatham corner shop and shouted "I hope you get coronavirus."

Police are now appealing for information after the attack which left Katherine Lucraft shaken and fearing she might catch the highly contagious virus and infect her children.

The 45-year-old was in the Village Off Licence in Luton High Street, Chatham, at around 12.15pm yesterday when a young woman entered the shop arguing on her phone.

"This young lady with a dog came in and was having the most ferocious row," she said. "It sounded like it was with a boyfriend. It's a very small shop and she pushed into me so I turned round and said 'do you mind?' She then launched into this fierce verbal attack on me. I said to her 'there's no need - we don't want to hear your language'.

"She got really close up to my face and spat at me - she spat and said 'I hope you get coronavirus'.

"Then she loosened the leash on her dog and it lurched towards me.

"It's disgusting at the best of times. I've got three teenage children who aren't allowed out of the house - one of them has asthma. You don't need the grief when you pop out and get a pint of milk.

"The shop keeper was scared but he didn't ask her to leave."

Ms Lucraft then went to the post office, but was followed by the attacker who opened the door and launched another verbal attack.

Although horrified by the incident she has since been overwhelmed by more than 100 messages of support on Facebook – and she was also grateful to a man who walked her home from the shops after the attack.

"He was utterly appalled," she added. "I don't know who this man is but he walked me home.

"I'm more frightened for my children. I'm keeping away from the kids now, but my eldest is in pieces, because someone has hurt mum and he's very aware of the spread of the virus."

She believes that the attacker was a drug addict and "in need of a fix", which left her even more worried about going out in Luton High Street.

"I go in there every day but I won't go in there again and I won't go out on my own again," she added. "It was just hideous."

The attack follows another incident in Herne Bay this week in which a 73-year-old woman was left scared and shaken when a gang of men taunted her with cries of “corona, corona” as they coughed over her.

It also follows a number of reports in recent days of police, shop workers and vulnerable groups being deliberately coughed at by people claiming to have coronavirus – which prompted Max Hill QC, director of public prosecutions, to say the CPS stood beside emergency and essential workers and would not hesitate to prosecute such attacks.

Police confirmed they were investigating the assault on Ms Lucraft and that inquiries are ongoing.

Anyone with information can call 01634 792209 quoting 46/55137/20.

You can also contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously by calling 0800 555 111 or using the anonymous online form at Crimestoppers-uk.org.

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