Ukip’s Gerard Batten blames ‘extreme left’ for attack on his home at Dagenham meeting
UKIP MEP Gerard Batten's window was smashed in the early hours of Tuesday morning - Credit: Archant
Ukip’s Gerard Batten blames the “extreme left” for a brick through his window, he revealed at a public meeting in Dagenham yesterday
The Ukip MEP has blamed the extreme left for the attack on his home - Credit: Archant
The London Member of European Parliament (MEP) told the Post he believed he had been targeted because of his political views.
He said: “No-one else has had bricks through their window in the street, it’s obvious I was targeted. I can’t think of any reason why someone would do that to me personally so it’s obviously political.
“Who goes in for violence? It’s the extreme left.”
The UK Independence Party founder member labelled his attackers “cowards who come in the night” after the half-brick smashed through a downstairs window at his home in Sidney Road, Forest Gate, in the early hours of Tuesday morning.
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At the time Mr Batten, 60, who ran in the Barking by-election against Margaret Hodge back in 1994, was at home with his wife and two grown-up sons.
He said the impact had been enough to smash through his double-glazed window and had left a “tremendous amounts of glass” in his home.
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He also revealed it wasn’t the first time a brick had been thrown through his window, having twice been a victim back in 2008 when he was standing as a candidate for London Mayor.
In an earlier statement, Mr Batten said the incident was the latest in a series of recent attempts to intimidate the party.
He said: “We have seen Ukip premises vandalised, billboards destroyed and elected representatives, campaigners and activists targeted with physical and verbal abuse.
“Many if not all of these attacks appear to have been driven by the hard left and their allies operating under the guise of ‘anti-racism’.”
Party leader Nigel Farage also commented on the incident, tweeting to his 128,000 followers: “The attack on @GerardBattenMEP’s house is a direct consequence of the media campaign against Ukip.”
A Met spokesman confirmed enquiries were ongoing after a report of criminal damage at the address, adding no-one was injured.
Ukip has declined to take part in a hustings event organised by the Post
