David Amess: Man arrested in investigation into spitting incident at statue for murdered MP
BREAKING Urgent manhunt underway as man shot near Royal Artillery Barracks in London 1792758339.092 Man arrested in investigation into spitting incident at statue for murdered MP David Amess Essex Police confirmed a man in his thirties is now being questioned on suspicion of a public order offence and criminal damage Sign up to the News Newsletter Email address Sign up I agree to receive updates and information about my account, the GB News Community, and related products and services from GB News. By signing up you agree to the Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy and Community Rules. Thank you for signing up! See the latest from GB News here . Choose GB News on Google - add us as a preferred source Choose GB News Support GB News Champion free speech and independent journalism while unlocking exclusive benefits. Support us A man has been arrested after a video appeared to show a person spitting on a statue dedicated to murdered MP Sir David Amess. Essex Police confirmed a man in his thirties is now being questioned on suspicion of a public order offence and criminal damage. He was arrested within the Southend West & Leigh constituency at an address in Westcliff-on-Sea on Friday morning. The suspect remains in custody. TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say Footage of the alleged spitting incident has since been deleted from TikTok. However, the video appeared to show a man filming himself spitting multiple times on a statue of Sir David on Southend's seafront. The incident is believed to have taken place just days after the fifth anniversary of Sir David's death. An Essex Police spokesman said: “A man has been arrested as part of an investigation which relates to a video posted on social media in Southend. An investigation was launched following viral social media footage on Wednesday | PA “A report was made to us on Wednesday, October 21, and our investigation was launched. “This morning, Friday, October 23, a man aged in his 30s was arrested in Westcliff. “He's being questioned on suspicion of a public order offence and criminal damage. He remains in custody.” Sir David was stabbed to death at a constituency surgery in Leigh-on-Sea in October 2021. LATEST DEVELOPMENTS Tories push for 'national resilience' vote to ban solar panels from prime agricultural land Labour finally reveals full cost of asylum seeker 'how not to rape' guide after ignoring GB News 'Sinn Fein backed Adolf Hitler to spite Britain in WW2', Irish PM claims Sir David Amess walked near the lifeguards with his dogs | HOUSE OF COMMONS Islamic State fanatic Ali Harbi Ali was sentenced to a whole-life order for the murder the following year. Sir David represented Southend West in the House of Commons from 1997 to 2021, having served as the MP for Basildon between 1983 and 1997. A life-sized statue created in the memory of a long-serving Conservative MP was unveiled in April 2024. "He may not admit it, but I'm sure he would have been flattered there is a statue in his memory," his former constituency assistant Julie Cushion said at the time. Sir David represented Southend West between 1997 and 2021 | PA The statue is located near the Chalkwell Lifeguards' base in Southend. Sir David used to walk his dogs at the site and had built a close relationship with the lifeguard station. Following this week's incident, a spokesman for Sir David's family said: "To see his memorial treated in this way is deeply upsetting." The spokesman added: "David believed passionately in freedom of expression and the right to disagree. The statue was erected in 2024 | PA "He understood that people would hold different political views, sometimes profoundly so. "But disagreement should never be an excuse for abandoning basic standards of decency and respect. "David was murdered because of the extremism of another individual. "Five years on, his family continues to live with the consequences of that terrible loss." Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter Breaking news News Urgent manhunt underway as man shot near Royal Artillery Barracks in London News Final hours: Don’t miss your chance to enter The Great British Giveaway News Eritrean migrant rapist back behind bars after claiming he didn't understand English to officers News Romanian crime gang targeted pensioners using cruel cash machine distraction scam News Over 50,000 people died of heat-related causes across Europe in 'deadliest Summer on record' News Man who was 'sexually obsessed' with his stepdaughter found guilty of her murder News Church of England is 'heading for financial disaster' due to net-zero targets and slavery reparations, report warns News Houses of multiple occupation in Greater Manchester targeted with pig's head and 'stop the boats' graffiti News Met Police chief blasts 'hateful, intolerant' abuse aimed at female Muslim officer News Britain only has one vessel capable of repairing crucial undersea cables threatened by Russia News Town's historic market cross destroyed after Gold Range Rover ploughs through beloved monument News Woman, 27, charged after police officer injured in Nottingham shooting News Tommy Robinson weeps in court during journalist harassment trial News British charities spark furious backlash after paying white employees a THIRD less than ethnic minorities News More than one-in-five veterans feel 'disconnected' after leaving the service as 'Britain's answer to Superman' reveals what helps him News Planning row erupts as homeowner forced to remove fence from his own land due to it being 'overbearing' News Commuters bemoan ear-splitting noise produced by Mission: Impossible escalators at Britain's busiest station News 'Neighbour from hell' migrant finally moves out as retirement home residents celebrate News 'Sickening' video of man spitting on statue of murdered MP David Amess sparks police investigation News Missing Nazi U-boat found off UK coast 82 years after Royal Navy sank it News Officers arrest over 260 in nationwide crackdown on organised immigration crime across British transport network News Asylum seeker jailed for just 15 weeks after sexually assaulting teenage girl in Cheshire News Metropolitan Police crackdown on retail crime and rogue businesses results in just over 40 arrests News Final shortlist for UK City of Culture 2029 revealed News Javier Milei once again rules out 'military solutions' to seize the Falkland Islands News Murderers who refuse to appear in dock for sentencing hearings to face new penalties News Scottish museum removes mummies from display as it lacks ‘informed consent from the deceased’ News Mum of two dies in crash while driving herself to hospital after being stabbed at retirement village News Detectives given more time to question suspect after shooting of police officer in Nottingham News Chester Zoo welcomes pair of endangered species named after 'Traitors' stars in bid to save species