Councillor Joe Costello verbally abused while addressing anti-immigration protesters

Joe Costello speaking to people at an anti-immigration protest. 

Veteran Labour Party politician Joe Costello, who was asked to provide information to local people protesting outside a refugee centre, had his microphone “violently” grabbed off him by a masked man and was verbally abused.

The councillor, and former junior minister, said many people in the crowd were “intimidatory” and that this particular grouping, who he suspected were mainly “outsiders”, did not want to hear him explain what the actual situation was.