Sir David Amess: Man arrested over MP Chris Bryant death threat

3 years ago 85

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Image caption, Rhondda MP Chris Bryant said he had been subject to "another death threat" on Sunday

A man has been arrested in connection with a death threat being sent to Labour's Rhondda MP Chris Bryant.

South Wales Police said a 76-year-old from Pontycymer, Bridgend county, was arrested on suspicion of malicious communications.

Officers were called at about 16:30 BST on 16 October after reports of malicious communications being sent.

Mr Bryant said he got the death threat after calling for people to be kinder following Sir David Amess's death.

He said he faced abuse every year has been an MP, adding: "The year before it was anti-vaxxers, the year before we had Brexit campaigners plastering the word 'traitor' all over my office."

Speaking to Claire Summers on Radio Wales Breakfast, he said MPs were usually more reluctant to go to police about abuse as the they knew how busy officers were.

He added: "I hope everyone dials down the nastiness in politics. It's been six years of everyone calling each other traitor. That needs to end, we need to be nicer to each other."

Image source, PA Media

Image caption, People in Leigh-on Sea have been remembering Sir David

The death of Conservative MP Sir David, who was stabbed at his constituency surgery in Essex, is being treated as a terrorist incident by the Metropolitan Police.

A 25-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of murder after the attack at a church in Leigh-on-Sea.

Whitehall officials confirmed the man's name as Ali Harbi Ali, and said he was a British man of Somali heritage.

Detectives are continuing to hold the 25-year-old man at a London police station and have until Friday to question him.

The BBC has been told he was referred to the counter-terrorist Prevent scheme some years ago, but was never a formal subject of interest to MI5.

Police have also been asked to review security for MPs after the killing on Friday.