LABOUR MAN HELD OVER CALL TO 'CUT RIOTERS' THROATS'

A LABOUR councillor has been arrested after allegedly calling for the throats of anti-immigration protesters to be cut.

- Steph Spyro, Christian Calgie

Ricky Jones was also suspended by the party after footage emerged of him giving a speech to a cheering crowd during a counter-demonstration.

He appears to say: "They are disgusting Nazi fascists and we need to cut all their throats and get rid of them all." Jones, a local councillor in Dartford, Kent, followed his speech on Wednesday evening by allegedly leading a chant of: "Free, free Palestine." The counter protest in Walthamstow, East London, had been organised to stop the farright from targeting asylum centres and the offices of lawyers helping asylum seekers.

Demonstrators stood in the street behind him and held placards which read: "Smash fascism and racism by any means necessary." The Metropolitan Police later confirmed the arrest in a tweet which included the original video comments.

The force said: "Officers have arrested a man aged in his 50s at an address in South East London.

"He was held on suspicion of encouraging murder and for an offence under the Public Order Act. He is in custody at a South London police station." In reference to the video, a Labour spokesman said: "This behaviour is completely unacceptable and it will not be tolerated." Speaking after the demonstration in Walthamstow, Met chief Sir Mark Rowley told broadcasters: "It went off very peacefully.

A couple of locations we had some local criminals turn out and try and create a bit of antisocial behaviour, and we arrested a few of them." Police forces have faced criticism over a perceived "two-tier" approach to the recent unrest, with claims that far-right protesters have been treated more harshly than proPalestinian marchers on recent demos.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage yesterday shared the clip of Jones, and said: "This man should be arrested. If not, we know there is two-tier policing." In a rare move, the Met later announced on social media that Jones was in custody.