Nigel Farage requests police protection for general election

Nigel Farage has been forced to request police protection for the general election campaign in response to the escalating campaign of violence and intimidation from left wing anti-democracy campaigners.

The Home Office normally only authorises police protection for the prime minister, deputy prime minister and leader of the opposition but the police have had to give him protection at public events several times and one left wing extremist with links to the Green Party was convicted of assaulting Farage during last year's election campaign.

As well as providing personal protection, Special Branch also gather intelligence on threats towards the VIPs that they provide protection for.