A 25-year-old woman has been charged with assault by beating and criminal damage after a milkshake was thrown at the Reform UK leader, Nigel Farage, after a campaign event in Clacton on Tuesday.

Victoria Thomas Bowen, 25, will appear at Colchester magistrates court on Tuesday 2 July, according to Essex police.

The force said the charges related to an incident in which a drink was thrown at a man in the area of Marine Parade East, Clacton, at about 2.10pm on Tuesday.

Farage was splashed with yellow liquid from a McDonalds cup as he was leaving the Moon and Starfish pub, on the Essex town’s seafront, and about to board a campaign bus.

He had earlier addressed a crowd of several hundred people nearby, after announcing he would stand for election in the constituency.

A 44-year-old man who was arrested on suspicion of assaulting an emergency worker has been released and will face no further action, police said.

Farage has been the victim of “milkshaking” in the past. In 2019 he had a £5.25 Five Guys banana and salted caramel milkshake thrown at him while campaigning in Newcastle.

The politician made light of Tuesday’s incident in a clip posted on social media in which he raised a McDonald’s milkshake in his hand and said: “My milkshake brings all the people to the rally”.

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