Carl Benjamin: Milkshake thrown at Ukip candidate for fourth time this week

‘This is becoming a habit’

Ukip candidate Carl Benjamin has had a fourth milkshake thrown over him in a week.

The far-right activist, who was touring Salisbury as part of his campaign for the European elections this week, was targeted by opponents in the street.

A Twitter user who posted a photograph of him doused in the milkshake quickly received more than 1,000 “likes”.

Another user posted: “This is becoming a habit.”

Mr Benjamin, who is being investigated by police for comments about raping Labour MP Jess Phillips, has been the target of a series of protests while campaigning for the EU Parliament elections.

The University of the West of England cancelled a hustings where he was due to speak out of fears of disturbances, and just days later Exeter Cathedral banned him from a separate election event it is hosting.

Earlier this week, police in Totnes separated Mr Benjamin’s supporters from demonstrators after he was doused in a milkshake for the third time.

A crowd of about 40 white people reportedly listened Mr Benjamin as he made another "joke" about restarting the British Empire.

Anti-far-right activists have regularly adopted the tactic of throwing milkshakes as a form of protest at candidates.

Tommy Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon and who is standing as an independent candidate, was hit with milkshakes twice in two days in Bury and Warrington earlier this month.

In 2016, Mr Benjamin, who is standing as an MEP in the South West England region, tweeted to Ms Phillips: “I wouldn’t even rape you, @jessphillips”.

He later defended what he called “a joke” and refused to apologise.

Because of the spread of the practice of throwing milkshakes, police in Edinburgh asked a branch of McDonald’s to stop selling them on an evening when former Ukip leader Nigel Farage was holding a rally nearby.