Tory councillor Brian Coleman arrested for assault after camera row

 
Out: Brian Coleman
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Tory councillor Brian Coleman has been arrested after allegedly assaulting a campaigner who helped to get him removed from City Hall.

He was held in police custody after a row with café owner Helen Michael who filmed him parking in a loading bay yesterday afternoon.

The Barnet councillor, 51, who spent four years running the London fire brigade for Boris Johnson, has been bailed on suspicion of common assault.

It happened at about 4.20pm yesterday when Mrs Michael, who led a vociferous campaign against parking changes introduced by Mr Coleman, spotted him apparently breaching parking rules as he went to a cash machine opposite her Buzz Café in North Finchley. Mrs Michael, 49, said: “I saw him pull up in the loading bay which I thought was outrageous given that he was involved in bringing in parking restrictions here.

“I got my phone and starting filming. He said ‘you can’t film me, give me the camera’.

“He then tried to grab my phone. An undercover policeman who was in the road ran to help me.

“He totally lost it and was shouting and screaming. Coleman then jumped into his car and drove off. I didn’t want him to get away so I jumped in the car with him.

“He then drove off with both doors open and then hit a truck. At that point I jumped out and he sped off.”

However friends of Mr Coleman, whose political career is in freefall after being ousted from the London Assembly after 12 years and removed as a cabinet member in Barnet, say he was left “scratched and bleeding”.

Scotland Yard said today: “A 51-year-old man was arrested yesterday in connection with alleged common assault.

“He was taken into custody in a central London police station and was later bailed until late October. The investigation is ongoing.”

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