Reform UK presses ahead with bid for private prosecution over airport fracas

Prosecutors say they are still “considering material” over a disturbance at Manchester Airport as Reform UK confirmed it is pressing ahead with plans to bring a private prosecution against two men accused of attacking police officers.

Nigel Farage said on Monday that the party, which threatened to take action in October, would make the legal application after hearing “nothing” back from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) about the case.

The CPS said it is working with Greater Manchester Police and watchdog the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), but could not provide a timeframe for when decisions might be made.

In July footage of a fracas at the airport went viral and appeared to show an officer kicking and stamping on the head of Fahir Amaaz, 19, as he and his brother Muhammed Amaad, 25, were restrained by officers.

Days later further footage, obtained by the Manchester Evening News, emerged which showed the immediate lead-up to the incident on July 23, including when two female police officers were knocked to the ground before Mr Amaaz was incapacitated with a Taser.

In a video posted on X on Monday, Mr Farage said: “The Southport riots led to immediate arrests and, in some cases, imprisonment, not just for those that threw bricks, but for those who said things online.

“Yet the appalling attack on police officers at Manchester Airport has been completely ignored.

“We think, as Reform UK, this is as clear an illustration of two-tier policing, two-tier justice in two-tier Britain, as you could possibly see.

“And we promised a few weeks ago that if the Crown Prosecution Service did not lay some charges against these men who, remember, (allegedly) even broke the nose of a woman police officer, that we would take out a private prosecution.”

Any adult in the UK can apply to bring a private prosecution but they must be able to pay for legal representation, and in some rare cases may end up having to cover the defendant’s legal costs too.

A CPS spokesperson said: “We are considering material and are providing advice in relation to a series of alleged criminal offences at Manchester Airport in July this year.

“We are working with Greater Manchester Police (GMP) and the Independent Office for Police Conduct while their inquiries continue.”

A GMP spokesperson said a “comprehensive file of evidence” had been sent to the CPS in mid-August, and the force was waiting for a charging decision.

“We continue to support the officers involved and are committed to getting them justice,” they added.

A spokesman for the IOPC, a watchdog that is investigating how police officers dealt with the incident, said: “Our investigation linked to an incident in which a number of men were arrested at Manchester Airport on Tuesday July 23 is in the final stages.

“Two Greater Manchester Police (GMP) officers remain under criminal investigation for assault as part of this investigation and interviews under criminal caution have now taken place.

“They are also being investigated for potential gross misconduct for alleged breaches of police professional standards including their use of force.

“We expect to conclude our investigation into the use of force by two officers during the arrests in the next month and any decision on a referral to the CPS will be made at that point.

“The serving of notices does not necessarily mean criminal charges or misconduct proceedings will follow.”