MP Mike Amesbury due to appear in court in December

MP Mike Amesbury is due to appear in court in December charged with assault.

The Runcorn and Helsby MP is scheduled to appear at Chester Magistrates' Court on Monday December 30, police have said.

The charge relates to an alleged attack on a 45-year-old man in Main Street in Frodsham, Cheshire , which was reported to officers at 2.48am on Saturday October 26.

Mr Amesbury was suspended from Labour after footage emerged last month which appeared to show him punching a man. He now sits in Parliament as an Independent.

The 55-year-old has been summonsed to court to face a charge of section 39 assault after a file was passed to prosecutors on October 29.

Mr Amesbury said he is "continuing to co-operate" with police following the "deeply regrettable" incident.

In a statement on Thursday, he said: "I have today been summonsed to court to face a charge of common assault following an incident in Frodsham last month, which was deeply regrettable.

"I am continuing to co-operate with police and given this is an ongoing case I cannot comment further."