Suspended Labour MP Mike Amesbury charged with assault after late-night incident

Mike Amesbury has been charged with assault after a video emerged of him appearing to punch a man to the ground in the street.

The Runcorn and Helsby MP, who was suspended from Labour after the footage circulated last month, will appear before magistrates at a later date, police said.

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

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

Amesbury said he was "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."

Head of the Crown Prosecution Service's special crime division Rosemary Ainslie said: "Following a review of the evidence provided by Cheshire Police , we have authorised a charge of common assault against Mike Amesbury MP, 55.

"The Crown Prosecution Service reminds all concerned that criminal proceedings against the defendant are active and that he has the right to a fair trial.

"It is extremely important that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings."

Amesbury was stripped of the Labour whip pending an investigation after footage appeared to show him hitting a man in the street during a late-night altercation.

He now sits as Independent.