Five arrested after Iain Duncan Smith ‘hit on head with traffic cone’

The alleged incident took place on Monday afternoon

Five people have been arrested after Iain Duncan Smith was reportedly hit on the head with a traffic cone in Manchester on Monday (October 4). Greater Manchester Police said it arrested three men and two women in connection with the incident, which allegedly took place at around 4pm. The Conservative Party Conference is currently taking place in Manchester, with Duncan Smith believed to have been on his way to the Mercure Manchester Piccadilly hotel where he was due to give a talk with the Brexit minister, David Frost. He claims he was pursued while walking to the hotel.

The former Tory leader told the Spectator: "I can’t tell you very much other than they just followed us, used abusive language, attacked us and used a cone.

"I have to say I would have very nearly been done for assault myself. I turned after them and they sort of backed off and I dropped the cone.

"They were shouting all along and then they smashed the cone on the back of my head, and so I turned and grabbed the cone and looked at them, and I took a pace towards them and they backed off."

A video posted on Twitter claims to show Duncan Smith in the moments after the incident being pursued down the street with someone banging a drum and shouting "scum" at him. https://twitter.com/NooraMykkanen/status/1445055371614330881 According to police, officers were at the scene on Portland Street within three minutes of the assault being reported. Those arrested remain in custody. Related links:

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