Man charged with alleged assault on Highlands Tory candidate's son

A man had been charged with allegedly assaulting a Conservative candidate’s son while First Minister Nicola Sturgeon was being greeted by a huge crowd of supporters on Inverness High Street on Saturday.

Edward Mountain claims his 25-year-old son was head-butted by a man wearing an SNP badge as the First Minister mingled in the city centre.

The assault is alleged to have happened at Mr Mountain’s High Street campaign stall.

Mr Mountain, a former army major who owns a farm in Moray, is one of seven candidates, including former MP Danny Alexander, who is contesting the Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey seat.

Police Scotland said a 50 year-old man was arrested in connection with the allegations.

The alleged bust-up is claimed to have happened around about the same time a Liberal Democrat volunteer for Danny Alexander said they were the victim of racial slurs.

Mr Alexander’s chief of staff Graham Littlejohn posted the claims on the social networking site Twitter.

He wrote: "One of our volunteers verbally abused by Drew Hendry badged supporters for having the temerity to be English. Unpleasant stuff."

Mr Littlejohn later said the volunteer was "pretty upset about it" but they did not want to go to the police. "They thought something like that would be quite hard to prove," he added.

Drew Hendry, who is contesting the seat for the SNP, said the party would never condone violence.

Mr Hendry, who is also Highland Council’s leader, said: "First of all I think it is important that the facts are established. The party would never condone anybody from any walk of life for whatever reason acting violently. It’s just not acceptable."

SNP supporter Jill McAlpine said SNP supporters were used to getting verbally abused while out and about canvassing.

Ms McAlpine, previously the convener of the SNP Highland branch, said: "We had an activist the other day who was spat at and called a fascist and a Nazi. And our signs are being defaced and removed. We didn’t report it to the police because we’ve just got to get on with it. We are just trying to run a peaceful campaign. We have got people with kids out and about, doctors, nurses, teachers. We’re not cyber-nats and fascists."

Campaigners were out in force in Inverness on Saturday.

Ms Sturgeon’s visit was part of a tour of a dozen target constituencies. About 500 people turned out to welcome her. She came in to the city on a maroon Eurocopter Dauphin, which seats up to eight people and is emblazoned with her image and the "Stronger for Scotland" motif. It was hired by the SNP from Inverness-based PDG Helicopters.

Lib Dem Danny Alexander was also out campaigning with a classic car furnished with Lib Dem stickers.

Ross Durance, UKIP chairman, did not like the atmosphere on the High Street during Ms Sturgeon’s visit.

He said: "As far as I can tell a lot of the supporters were brought in from the central belt, given the obvious accent differences, in order to make up numbers. There seemed to be a very unhealthy intermediating presence while these people were present. This is not something that we need or want happening in the Highlands."

A Police Scotland spokesman said: "At around 12:14 hours on Saturday afternoon, police in Inverness received a report of an assault which occurred on the junction between Union Street and the High Street.

"A 50 year-old man was arrested and has been reported in connection with the incident. He is expected to appear at Inverness Sheriff Court on Thursday 14th May. The recipient of the assault received minor injuries as a result of the incident."

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