The Home Office has offered Nigel Farage bodyguards amid rising violence towards him, the Daily Express understands. Officials are understood to be offering candidates private security teams for campaign events as abuse and threats of violence intensify.
This includes door-staff for public events and teams of up to four people for canvassing and public meetings.
Reform UK leader Mr Farage has been targeted at two campaign events in a week, prompting renewed fears over the safety of candidates in a febrile political atmosphere.
Josh Greally has been charged with using threatening behaviour after wet cement was thrown at the Reform leader in Barnsley on Tuesday. Meanwhile, OnlyFans model Victoria Thomas Bowen has been charged with assault by beating and criminal damage after a milkshake was thrown at Mr Farage in Clacton last week.
The Home Office is understood to have contacted the Brexit champion about “additional private security”. But there won’t be “dedicated police support”, sources have revealed.
Mr Farage warned physical attacks are the next stage of a “cancel culture” by a “violent left wing mob” hoping to silence him.
Asked what could happen if the violence continues to rise, Mr Farage told the Daily Express: “That’s the worry. In my case, I’m having to think twice about what I do. I’ve been doing this forever, as you know, I’ve been doing this forever. And there have been incidents over the years.
“This was just an attempt to shut me down. What do I do? If I give in to these people, who the hell else is going to stand up? I’m sometimes brave to the point of total stupidity.
“I’m very worried about it. I’m genuinely very, very thoughtful about it. But I’m not going to stop. My modus operandi may have to change.”
Police sources have admitted it is “very difficult” to know whether bystanders are planning to launch objects – such as milkshakes – at politicians.
Officers rely on intelligence to protect candidates from plots to attack them.
But “random” attacks pose the biggest problem to officers. This is because it is “very difficult” to know what the motivation is of those crowding round election campaign events.
Police hope a significant presence and swift arrests will deter yobs from throwing things or attempting to attack politicians. The number of intelligence and crime reports received by police relating to MPs has dropped sharply in recent months, but force chiefs insist candidates have confidence in officers to protect them.
In January and February around 260 intelligence reports and 60 or 70 crime reports were received by police in relation to Operation Bridger, which focuses on the security of elected representatives.
But this fell to tens of intelligence reports and “small numbers” of reported crimes in the past two months.
“|Random” attacks pose the biggest problem to officers. This is because it is “very difficult” to know what the motivation is of those crowding round election campaign events.
Police hope a significant presence and swift arrests will deter yobs from throwing things or attempting to attack politicians.
The number of intelligence and crime reports received by police relating to MPs has dropped sharply in recent months, but force chiefs insist candidates have confidence in officers to protect them.
In January and February around 260 intelligence reports and 60 or 70 crime reports were received by police in relation to Operation Bridger, which focuses on the security of elected representatives.
But this fell to tens of intelligence reports and “small numbers” of reported crimes in the past two months.
