Labour suspends MP Mike Amesbury after CCTV appears to show him punching man

CCTV footage appears to show Amesbury punching a man in the face outside an Indian restaurant, with the shadow minister denied bail and remanded in custody to appear in court on Friday

Labour has suspended Mike Amesbury after CCTV footage emerged apparently showing him punching a man outside an Indian restaurant in Sutton Coldfield. The shadow employment minister was arrested on Thursday after the footage - obtained by the Sun - was passed to police. Amesbury has denied the allegations and was released on conditional bail, before being recalled to custody after the Crown Prosecution Service successfully appealed the decision. He appeared at Birmingham Magistrates' Court on Friday and was remanded in custody until his next appearance on 13 January. Labour said in a statement: "The Labour Party has suspended Mike Amesbury following his arrest and charge by police. The party takes all allegations of violence and abuse extremely seriously and has a clear process for dealing with such matters." The footage, which was filmed in the early hours of Thursday morning, appears to show Amesbury punching a man in the face outside the Asha Indian restaurant. The man, who has not been named, falls to the ground after being punched and appears to be unconscious. Amesbury then walks away from the scene. Amesbury has denied the allegations, saying that he was acting in self-defence. In a statement, he said: "I am aware of the footage that has been circulated and I want to make it clear that I did not start this altercation. "I was acting in self-defence after being repeatedly threatened and provoked. "I have been cooperating fully with the police and I am confident that the truth will emerge." The Crown Prosecution Service said in a statement: "We have reviewed the evidence in this case and have concluded that there is sufficient evidence to charge Mike Amesbury with assault. "We have also applied to the court to have his bail conditions varied so that he can be remanded in custody. "This is a serious allegation and we will be presenting the evidence to the court in due course." Amesbury is a Labour MP for Weaver Vale. He was elected to Parliament in 2019 and has served as a shadow minister since 2020.