Parliament security staff accused of assault

By Martin Banks

Date: 20/01/05

TWO MEPs' assistants have lodged a formal complaint with the European Parliament after claiming they were physically attacked by the assembly's security staff.

Nikki Sinclaire and Annabelle Fuller suffered cuts and bruises after they were allegedly assaulted by a five-strong group of guards during last week's Parliamentary debate on the EU constitution in Strasbourg.

The incident happened on 12 January outside the Parliament's hemicycle as the pair, assistants to UK Independence Party MEPs Mike Nattras and John Whittaker, attempted to unfurl a banner which said "No" to the constitution. Sinclaire, 36, conceded that both she and Fuller had been warned by the security services not to display the banners over balconies. She said: "I tried not to antagonise the guards by holding the banner above my head, instead of over the balcony, but they seemed unhappy that an alternative opinion on the constitution was being expressed.

"They tried to forcibly retrieve the banner and I was punched in the breast, pushed to the ground and kicked before being dragged several metres along the ground by five guards.

"No action was taken by people displaying 'Yes' banners." Sinclaire, who plans to stand as a candidate for UKIP in the next British general election, later needed medical treatment.

Sinclaire and Fuller may sue the staff involved for alleged assault. A Parliament spokesman said that he was aware of the alleged assault and that the matter is being investigated. A spokesman for the assembly's security services said: "The complaint is under investigation but I would point out that one of my security guards is currently on ten-day sick leave after he was kicked by a British MEP during this incident."

According to Parliament sources, the assembly's President Josep Borrell said last week that the security staff should be congratulated for the way that they behaved during the incident.

Two MEP's assistants lodged a formal complaint with the European Parliament after claiming they were physically attacked by the assembly's security staff. The assistants to MEP's of UKIP, the Eurosceptic UK Independence Party, had attempted to unfurl a banner which said "No" to the constitution at the European Parliament's plenary session on the Constitutional Treaty on 12 January 2005.