Protest offer MP threatened with arrest

Protest offer MP threatened with arrest

(UKPA) – 2 pm today

An MP has revealed how he was threatened with arrest after he offered to remove two anti-war protesters who climbed up the side of one of Parliament's buildings.

Tory Tobias Ellwood said he was greeted by the sight of the protest as he cycled towards the entrance to the House of Commons.

He said he was told the pair, who have unfurled banners on scaffolding saying "Troops Home", could not be removed because of health and safety fears.

Speaking during questions on future business in the Commons, Mr Ellwood (Bournemouth E) said it was a "strange day indeed" when an MP was threatened with arrest "whilst a protester sits on our roof having breached the security".

The former Army officer said: "I cycled into Parliament this morning, only to be greeted by yet another protester who had breached security and remains as we speak on the side of the scaffolding of this building.

"I then approached the police who were standing underneath and said 'Why hasn't an arrest been made?' and they came back with that British ubiquitous justification for inertia - health and safety.

"I then offered myself to go up and make a citizen's arrest and I was told to move on - or I would be arrested.

Commons Leader Sir George Young commended the "robust response" of Mr Ellwood.

In 2009 Mr Ellwood was punched and suffered a swollen ear after he tried to stop a group of youths from playing football in a shopping precinct.

The year before he confronted a gang of youths who had urinated in a garden and was verbally abused and had stones thrown at him. He said at the time that he felt more people should be prepared to confront anti-social behaviour.