Egg Miliband: Labour leader Ed egged in Southampton

Labour leader Ed Miliband was hit with an egg during a walkabout in Southampton today.

The politician was giving a TV interview when a man in a hat came through the throng and slapped the egg on to his shoulder. The egg broke on to Mr Miliband's jacket, which he quickly removed and gave to an aide as the man ran off down the street.

He finished the interview in just a shirt and tie, made an exit and went back to his car.

He was there to celebrate Labour's victory in Southampton and declared: "We are back in the South."

After being hit and removing his dirtied jacket, Mr Miliband joked that the man was "obviously not one of my fans".

He later Tweeted: "For those wondering about egg's origins, fairly sure it wasn't free range but nothing can take away from cracking result in Southampton..."

Eggs mark the spot: Other politicians under fire

* John Prescott failed to take the yolk when, on May 16 2001, he scuffled with egg-throwing protester Craig Evans. Prescott's infamous left jab led to him being questioned by police, but Prime Minister Tony Blair dismissed the punch-up, saying simply "John is John".

* Purple powder billowed around the House of Commons in May 2004, after Fathers For Justice campaigners threw a projectile full of dyed flour at Tony Blair during Prime Minister's Questions. The session was immediately abandoned and a serious review of Commons security was ordered. 

* In March 2009, the then Business Secretary Lord Mandelson was 'slimed' by Leila Deen from campaign group Plane Stupid. Seconds after Lord Mandelson got out of his ministerial car to attend the Government's low carbon economy summit in London, Ms Deen threw a cup of 'green slime' over the minister, who tried to duck when he realised what was happening.

* Nick Griffin was pelted with eggs as he was about to begin a press conference outside Parliament in June 2009. Dozens of protesters surrounded the BNP leader, throwing eggs, chanting anti-Nazi slogans and waving placards, forcing Griffin to flee in a waiting car.

* David Cameron was egged by a 16-year-old student in April 2010 while visiting a school in the run-up to that year's General Election. Cameron's protection officer took the full force of the attack, but some of the yolk stained Cameron's white shirt. In a fresh shirt later that day, Cameron, who had been followed by a Daily Mirror reporter dressed as a chicken, joked "Now I know which came first - the chicken not the egg."

* George Galloway was egged in March this year as he left his office for a victory parade to celebrate becoming MP for Bradford. The 26-year-old protester called Galloway a "parasite" as he threw the eggs towards him, later condemning him for acting like 'a submissive cat' on television.

PA