Iain Dale Tackles Protester Stuart Holmes At Labour Conference (PICTURES)

PHOTOS: LBC Presenter Tackles Protester (And His Dog)

Conservative blogger Iain Dale has been pictured wrestling with notorious anti-nuclear protester Stuart Holmes, after he apparently tried to move him out of the way during an interview with Damian McBride on ITV's Daybreak.

The LBC Drive presenter, who is the publisher of McBride's explosive memoirs, was captured on film grappling with the campaigner, who was holding anti-nuclear banners alongside his dog.

The barking of the protester's dog, who is also named Stuart, could be heard by TV viewers as the struggle continued.

Afte the event Iain Dale tweeted:

Iain Dale appeared to be trying to move Stuart Holmes away from the interview

After a few moments, the pair separated and dusted themselves down, and Holmes went back to trying to edge his way into view of the cameras.

Sussex police are reportedly looking into the incident.

Dale explained later he had been waiting to drive McBride to his interview with Nick Ferrari when he saw Holmes filling the ITV screen with his placard.

"So I did what any self respecting publisher would do, got out of the car, ran across, got him in an armlock and pulled him out of the shot," Dale wrote on his blog.

"I was determined this idiot shouldn’t disrupt what was an important interview for my author.

"Anyone who has seen the pictures and video can see that there was no real violence. I certainly didn’t hurt the guy. He threw a punch at me but missed, and the only injury was when the man’s dog bit him on the bum."

Dale added: "Everyone has an inalienable right to protest, but no one has a right to make a continual nuisance of themselves and interrupt interviews like that."

Stuart Holmes has made headlines previously, through sustained campaigning outside major court cases.

During the high profile trial of Chris Huhne's ex-wife Vicky Pryce, Holmes managed to stand behind lawyers and press crews in order to wave his anti-nuclear signs on national television.

Holmes was standing nearby Damian McBride, who was being interviewed by Daybreak

The pensioner from Manchester is in his 30th year as a fixture outside party conference venues.

He said that when he spotted the cameras, he assumed they were for party leader Ed Miliband whom he was keen to confront after being "totally blanked" by him at the TUC conference in Bournemouth.

Mr Holmes - who was surprised to be told the interview with Mr McBride was being broadcast live - insisted that the ex-spin doctor saw his placard and appeared "happy with it".

"Then this giant of a guy turned up and grabbed hold of me. I struggled free and in the process we ended up on the floor.

"Someone chucked my hat over the top and I had to go down and get it."

Holmes' dog Stuart was also caught up in the scuffle

Mr Holmes said he would be discussing with his solicitors next month whether he should take legal action over the incident but he thought it unlikely.

"Nobody got injured - well, he might have a few bruises," he added.

Labour Annual Conference 2013

Iain Dale scuffles Stuart Holmes

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