A man accused of attacking Asda staff dressed as Spider-man has missed a court hearing as he was ill with Covid, according to reports.

Josh McDonald, 31, from Northampton, has been charged with violent disorder and two counts of assault causing actual bodily harm, following the incident at the Clapham Junction supermarket on July 22 2021, which was captured in viral footage.

His six co-accused attended Kingston upon Thames Crown Court on Friday ahead of a trial set to take place later this year, reports the Mail. 

The defendants are admitted pranksters, who film videos of themselves performing in public places.

The group was allegedly led by George O'Boyle, 29, dressed as Ali G, who pleaded guilty to both assaulting an Asda employee and violent disorder.

Video footage posted on social media last year showed a woman staff member being kicked in the throat and punched in the face by a man dressed in a Spider-Man costume.

Onlookers could be heard shouting at the attackers, with one woman calling out, “oh my God!”.

Another clip shoeds a brawl in the warehouse area of the shop involving Asda employees and several people wearing costumes.

A person in a wheelchair was seen to be pulled back from the fight, and the man in the Spider-Man costume can be seen hitting people with what appears to be a single crutch.

Metropolitan Police officers attended along with London Ambulance Service, and a woman in her 20s was taken to hospital with a minor injury. A further five people were treated at the scene.

The GMB union said its members were among those attacked, and representatives visited the store to offer support.

Senior organiser Mark Wilkinson said: “GMB cannot condemn strongly enough the actions of these people and we thank the police for their swift action in arriving to help protect our members from further harm.

“The video footage is absolutely horrifying and we are offering whatever support is necessary to any member who were affected during the incident.”

He added: “Sadly, GMB is all too aware that whilst Clapham Junction is an extreme example, attacks on retail workers are on the increase. Parliament needs to act now to toughen the law.”