Stephen Byers attacked outside Tyneside constituency

Jul 7 2009 By Matt McKenzie

A senior Labour MP and former cabinet minister has been attacked as he arrived to hold a surgery with constituents.

Stephen Byers was sprayed with a liquid, which turned out to be a blue energy drink, outside Emmerson Court, on Emmerson Place in Shiremoor, North Tyneside, on Saturday.

It is thought his attacker was protesting about the recent scandal surrounding MPs’ expenses.

A man was arrested at the scene and accepted a caution for common assault.

It is thought Mr Byers, MP for North Tyneside, was accosted as he got out of his car to go into the housing complex when the man sprayed blue Powerade at him.

A Northumbria Police spokesman said: ``At around 9.40am on Saturday July 4, police received a report that a man had been assaulted outside Emmerson Court, Shiremoor.

``Police attended the scene where a 64-year-old man was found to have sprayed soft drink over another man as he was getting out of his car.

``No injuries were sustained during the incident and the man was given a caution for common assault."

A spokeswoman for Mr Byers said he did not wish to comment on the matter.