Tommy Robinson arrested on suspicion of assault in Cumbria

5 June 2020, 18:15

Tommy Robinson has been arrested on suspicion of assault following an incident in a retail park in Cumbria in which he says he was spat on.

The 37-year-old, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, was one of four men arrested at Hollywood Retail Park in Barrow-in-Furness on Thursday evening.

Unlike Robinson, the three have not ben named but are said to be a 43-year-old man from the West Midlands, a 47-year-old from North Wales, and a 28-year-old man from Bedfordshire.

They are all being questioned in custody on suspicion of a public order offence.

In footage shared on social media, the former English Defence League leader can be heard telling an officer he "acted in self defence" after someone spat in his face.

It is not clear what happened in the incident.

Cumbria Police said it had arrested the four men after a report of an assault on a man in the retail park, and had kept them all in custody overnight.

The statement added: "There were a number of people in the area at the time and officers are keen to hear from anyone who witnessed what happened or the moments immediately before or after."

In the last two weeks, Robinson has travelled to Barrow-in-Furness twice to investigate what he says might be a case of a "Muslim grooming gang" in the town.

Cumbria Police's Detective Chief Superintendent Dean Holden said last month that an investigation into "specific allegations of abuse" over a period of a year did not provide evidence of such an organisation in place.

He stressed the claims have been investigated thoroughly, and said they had not been "ignored or dismissed".

It came after graphic images of injuries were shared widely on social media as allegations of sexual abuse and physical violence against a teenage girl were surfaced.

A 19-year-old woman was eventually charged with several counts of perverting the course of justice.