Man charged after objects thrown at Nigel Farage on campaign trail in Barnsley

A man has been charged after objects were thrown at Nigel Farage while he was on a campaign visit to Barnsley.

South Yorkshire Police said Josh Greally, 28, had been charged with using threatening, abusive, insulting words and behaviour with intent to cause fear or provoke unlawful violence.

The Reform UK leader was on top of a party battle bus on Tuesday morning when a cup was thrown, narrowly missing him.

A man in a red hoodie could be seen shouting from a construction area below, before reaching into a bucket and throwing something else, which also missed.

Greally has been released on bail to appear before Barnsley Magistrates’ Court on June 26.

Farage, speaking while campaigning in Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, said the incident was “pretty nasty”.

He thanked South Yorkshire Police on X, formerly Twitter, for their response to the incident and vowed he “will not surrender to the mob”.

Politicians from other parties joined Farage in condemning “violence” towards General Election candidates.

Home Secretary James Cleverly said: “There must be no place for violence and intimidation in our politics and these actions should be condemned by everyone.”

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Stephanie Peacock, Labour’s parliamentary candidate for Barnsley South, said: “Intimidation has no place in our politics.

“I condemn the violence we saw in Barnsley town centre today.”

It comes after Victoria Thomas Bowen, 25, was charged with assault by beating and criminal damage when a milkshake was thrown over Farage as he left the Moon and Starfish Wetherspoons pub in Clacton-on-Sea in Essex on Tuesday last week.

Farage was seen with the yellow drink splattered across his dark blue suit as he boarded his campaign bus.

Thomas Bowen is due to appear before Colchester Magistrates’ Court on July 2.