A FOOTBALL hooligan has been found guilty of spitting in a steward’s face at a Southend United match.

Daniel Reynolds, 23, went wild during the Johnstone’s Paint Southern area final between the Shrimpers and Leyton Orient game on February 20 at Roots Hall, Southend.

He could now face a ban from football grounds.

PC Dean Rutter, who was on duty at the match, told Southend magistrates: “At about 7pm, we were called into the stadium itself, after someone threw a signal flare into the opposing crowd.

“There were a lot more objects being thrown back and forth.

“I saw Mr Reynolds being brought through by several stewards. He looked very angry. He was pulling away from them and being very aggressive.”

PC Rutter said Reynolds was swearing constantly and shouting abuse as they tried to eject him.

Then, as they walked up some stairs, the yob lashed out, causing himself, stewards and PC Rutter all to fall.

He added: “We fell between the rows of seats and I landed on his chest. I then heard a hawking noise and he spat on the steward’s face. I couldn’t move quickly enough to move his head to the side.”

Reynolds, of St Andrews Road, Boreham, near Chelmsford, failed to show up for the hearing and was found guilty in his absence of using abusive and insulting words or behaviour, assault on the steward and common assault on PC Rutter. He had denied all three charges.

Magistrates issued a warrant for his arrest and were told the prosecution would be asking for a football banning order when he was eventually sentenced.