‘He deserves a medal!’ Lee Anderson hits back against stamp victim’s lawyer after defending officer’s use of force

Lee Anderson has hit back against the lawyer representing Manchester Airport’s stamp victim after defending the suspended police officer’s use of force.

The Ashfield MP, who defected from the Tories to Reform UK earlier this year, claimed the now-suspended copper “should be commended”.

Anderson said: “The message I’m getting loud and clear from my constituents is that they’re fed up with seeing police dancing around rainbows and being nice to people and running off from rioters.

“They want the police to do their job. And I think these police yesterday should be commended, in fact, I’d give them a medal.”

Responding to Anderson’s comments, the lawyer representing Amaaz had a series of questions for the Ashfield MP.

Akhmed Yakoob said: “Lee Anderson, what if that was your son lying there defenceless?

“Would you give the police officer a medal for being so barbaric and stamping on his head like that? No, you wouldn’t.

“Nigel Farage, you need to have a word with your MP because this is not a normal incident.”

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Anderson fired back following Yakoob’s question, telling GB News: “My sons would not be hanging around airports assaulting police officers and resisting arrest.”

The police officer filmed stamping on Muhammad Fahir Amaaz’s head will soon face a criminal investigation, the Independent Office for Police Conduct has revealed.

The incident sparked backlash from the local community, with protesters gathering outside Rochdale Police Station.

Following the incident, Greater Manchester Police said firearms officers had been “violently attacked” in a parking area after trying to make an arrest.

The force said three officers had been taken to hospital, with one suffering a broken nose.

Four men, aged 19, 25, 28 and 31, were arrested on suspicion of assault and affray and had since been bailed.

Yakoob has also claimed Amaaz’s condition worsened after the incident, revealing a CT scan showed there was a “cyst on his brain”.

Leading Labour figures criticised Anderson over his comments about the incident.

Foreign Minister Baroness Jenny Chapman said: “I think Lee is completely wrong to rush to a conclusion like that, not in full possession of all the facts.”

She added: “I would caution colleagues against jumping in and reaching conclusions when the police force itself has referred itself quite rightly to the IOPC [Independent Office for Police Conduct].

“The officer involved – quite rightly – has been suspended. But I don’t think that it’s right for politicians to go around grandstanding and trying to make political capital out of this at this stage.”

Burnham also labelled Anderson’s intervention as “irresponsible”.