Nigel Farage denies cowering from milkshake-wielding protestors, insisting he was giving interviews on bus
Nigel Farage has insisted that he was not cowering on his campaign bus to avoid being pelted by milkshakes from protestors outside.
The leader of the Brexit Party was in Rochester, Kent, on the final day of campaigning for the Euro elections when two men and a woman were spotted waiting for him with, red with milkshakes.
Bus driver Michael Botton, who was alerted to the protestors, reportedly told Mr Farage about the small group and he is said to have decided to wait on the bus until they left.
However, Mr Farage - who was doused with a milkshake in Newcastle on Monday - denied he was hiding, instead insisting he was giving interviews on his bus at the time.
A spokesman for Mr Farage said: “Nigel did media interviews on top of the campaign open-top bus and then got off to mix with supporters afterwards, taking photographs and signing boards.
“Suggestions that he hid on board the bus are simply not true.”
Mr Farage was later seen outside of the bus, chatting to supporters who had turned up to greet him.
The group of protestors told police that the milkshakes were for themselves - and not to be thrown at Mr Farage.
Paul Crowther, 32, was charged with common assault and criminal damage after a banana and salted caramel milkshake was thrown at Mr Farage on Monday, Northumbria Police said.
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Speaking after the incident, Mr Farage has said he is "concerned" about the level of "hatred" being directed at him.
He said he did not know what was being thrown at him, and called for a message to be sent that "people can't behave like this”.
Asked if he would change the way he campaigns, Mr Farage said: "I hope not but I am concerned about the sheer level of hatred coming from those who think they're better than me.
"I just think we've reached a point where normal campaigning is becoming very difficult, and that in a democratic society cannot be a good thing.”
He said what happened to him was "part of something bigger that's going on”.
"Civilised democracy only works if you've got the loser's consent - you know, you lose the election, you don't like it, but you accept it because that's the system.
"Ever since 24 June 2016 we've had senior members of the British establishment - including two former prime ministers - literally refusing to accept the result, saying that those that voted Brexit didn't know what they were voting for - they're thick, they're stupid, they're lazy, they're racist, they're working class, they're fat, they're horrible.
"And that gives people on the other side of the argument a sense of moral superiority. And if you think you're better than everybody else that then leads, I'm afraid, to a breakdown, not just in democracy, but in the civilisation that goes with it.
"And I think we're in a very bad place with this.”