A police officer has won £20,000 after a KFC worker served him food spattered with spit and urine.

A jury ruled in favour of police officer Keith Andrew, whose two sons, then 4 and 7, were sickened by the spit and urine tainted food they ate at a KFC/Taco Bell in October 2005.

The younger boy became violently ill with gastroenteritis and dehydration, vomited for hours and was forced to spend time in a hospital, the family's lawsuit said.

Workers who saw a fellow employee taint the family's food reported it to management, but the managers didn't inform the family, the lawsuit alleged.

The food was served in the Nebraska town of Sidney which has just 6,000 residents.

The jury found the restaurant negligent, said the family's attorney Andy Snyder. He said of the restaurant owner, "I'd advise them to get a better class of employees."

KFC spokesman, Rick Maynard, said KFC is committed to the highest levels of food safety.

"Our franchisee does not agree with the court's verdict, and they are looking at their legal options," Maynard said.

A company spokesman said last year that Diedrich was fired for missing work but not for any of the incidents the lawsuit cited.