'Robocop' wades in as MP is pelted with eggs at parade (From The Northern Echo)

'Robocop' wades in as MP is pelted with eggs at parade

8:00am Monday 14th November 2011 in News

MAYOR of Middlesbrough Ray Mallon stepped in to make a citizen’s arrest after an MP was pelted with eggs at a Remembrance Sunday parade.

Sir Stuart Bell was attacked from behind and hit in the back of the head with at least one egg after the parade in Linthorpe Road, Middlesbrough.

The mayor, who earned the nickname Robocop with his no-nonsense style of policing, chased a man he believed to be the attacker across the road where he made a citizen’s arrest on the grounds of assault and breaching the peace, then held onto him for about five minutes before handing him over to the police.

Two or three eggs are thought to have hit Sir Stuart, who was with his wife, Margaret, but only one hit him on the head.

The man is said to have repeatedly shouted abuse at Sir Stuart from across the road after the remembrance parade came to an end. The MP is said to have wanted to talk to him before the egging incident, but was persuaded to stay away.

The Labour MP, who has won seven elections in the town, but has faced recent criticism for failing to hold public surgeries for 14 years, told The Northern Echo he was fine following the incident, but declined to discuss the attack further.

He said: “This is now a police matter, but I will say this was my 30th Remembrance Sunday and the best attended of all of them and I don’t want to take anything at all away from that.”

Mr Mallon also would not comment, but is expected to talk to the police today.

However, Councillor Barry Coppinger, who was part of the group speaking to Sir Stuart at the time, said: “I didn’t see the man coming up, but I just heard the impact of the egg as it hit Stuart. There was shock, as you can imagine. The next thing was Ray Mallon reacted and had this man across the road.”

One witness said: “He calmed down when Ray Mallon had him.

He was still shouting abuse, but didn’t put up a fight, he didn’t hit Mallon or anything like that. His target was Stuart Bell.”

Liz Chambers, who has helped organise Middlesbrough’s Remembrance Sunday parade and service for 19 years, said: “I just think this is atrocious. It is sad that our MP cannot lay a wreath on a day as important as that.

“Whatever problems this guy has, those things should be put aside for Remembrance Sunday.

I’ve called Sir Stuart to make sure he is okay.”

Sir Stuart has said he stopped holding public surgeries after being repeatedly abused and attacked twice by a member of the public.

Police confirmed a man in his mid-50s was arrested shortly after noon in Linthorpe Road, Middlesbrough.