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A senior Reform figure has said people who heckle Nigel Farage will not get “gentle treatment” - while police examine footage of a woman being assaulted by members. A sickening clip shows a woman being hit around the head with a crutch before her hair is pulled and a hand put over her mouth at the party conference. The grey haired man seen assaulting her was not a member of the event's security team. Another woman from the crowd can be seen pulling the protester's hair as guards escorted her from Birmingham's NEC. Asked by The Mirror whether those involved should face consequences during a debate about free speech, Nadine Dorries said those who disrupt speakers should not expect to be treated gently and said it was "shocking" that protesters had been there. Ms Dorries, who was Tory Culture Secretary under Boris Johnson before defecting to Reform, said: “Somebody said to me it was shocking to see protesters being treated the way they were. I think what was also shocking was the way they thought they could come into the conference and try to derail Nigel Farage’s speech.” And she went on: “If you’re going to come into a conference like this… of course you’re not going to get gentle treatment.” And she added: “It’s wrong, no one should be punched." She went on: "No one should attend this conference and try and disrupt it.” Her remarks came after The Mirror asked if those who assaulted protesters should face consequences. Reform's home affairs spokesman, Zia Yusuf, responded: “To the question from The Mirror about whether I condemn people punching people, yes I do condemn people punching people.” Mr Farage was interrupted four times during his keynote speech at the right-wing shindig in Birmingham. He laughed as the first demonstrator was taken away and Reform fans chanted "out, out, out". Reform's chairman used his speech to make a joke about the incident. Lee Anderson told delegates: "A few nuisances we had in the hall yesterday, the protesters... "I did see an old chap, a pensioner, somewhere with a walking stick... Look I don't condone any of that type of behaviour, but if anyone wants to have a quick whip around later we are collecting for a new walking stick. "He's in here somewhere." It is understood that all those removed were from a group called Climate Resistance, and had joined Reform in order to buy tickets. The group responded on Instagram : "Is this the beaviour you expect from the party that says it wants to govern Britain?" West Midlands Police said it is aware of the footage and called on the woman to come forward. A spokesman told The Mirror: “We’re aware of a video circulating from the Reform UK Conference showing an incident with a protester. “We haven’t received a complaint but would ask the woman involved to come forward and contact us so we can carry out enquiries. Anyone with any information should contact us on 101 quoting log number 924 of 5 September.” As she was being led away, another demonstrator told The Mirror she was protesting about Mr Farage taking cash from billionaires. Asked why she had interrupted, she said: "Nigel Farage taking money from billionaires, which has been exposed multiple times. Taking money from billionaires, including Christopher Harborne, the crypto billionaire." Another group member who was thrown out, named Ed, told this newspaper: "We just stood up in the Reform conference to highlight the corruption at the heart of the Reform Party." Asked what he shouted at Mr Farage, he said: "There was quite a lot of adrenaline in the moment, so I think what I shouted was roughly, 'Are you one of these people who's corrupted by donations, Nigel?'" Ed went on: "So the idea was to raise people's awareness of that and to show that that's happening, because they talk a lot about nation and community values in that room. And I believe some of the people there are genuinely there because that's what they believe, but they should know that this is a party that will flout the rules to get into power, and that just doesn't really care about the kinds of things that would keep us as ordinary citizens that we would actually have to obey." And he continued: "I hope that we've raised awareness of the corruption scandal that is just blowing up today, because this is something that hopefully will make people aware that Reform is not a party that can be trusted in power."
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