‘Appalling' Abuse Of BBC Man Hounded On Street By Angry Mob

Boris Johnson has denounced the “disgraceful” behaviour of anti-lockdown protesters who forced a BBC journalist to flee to safety.

- Martyn Brown

Shocking footage on social media showed angry demonstrators shouting abuse in the face of Newsnight’s political editor Nicholas Watt near Downing Street.

Mr Watt, who was wearing a BBC lanyard, was forced to run through the mob beyond a line of police as people shouted “traitor”, “liar” and “scum”.

Crowds had gathered in Westminster to protest against the Government’s extension of coronavirus restrictions in England by four weeks.

After watching the footage, the Prime Minister tweeted: “Disgraceful to see the hounding of Nick Watt doing his job. The media must be able to report the facts without fear or favour – they are the lifeblood of our democracy.”