Medical examination will prove I was punched, Ukip MEP Steven Woolfe claims

Mike Hookem admits an altercation with Mr Woolfe but says his colleage 'fell over his own feet'

Steven Woolfe lies in a hospital bed with Thumbs-up (Ukip/PA)

Medical examinations of Ukip MEP Steven Woolfe suggest he was punched in the face, he has claimed.

Mike Hookem, a fellow Ukip MEP, denies punching or pushing Mr Woolfe during an altercation at the European Parliament on Thursday and says he “fell over his own feet” in the “tussle”.

Mr Woolfe, who is standing to be Ukip leader, was rushed to hospital with suspected bleeding on the brain after he collapsed following the altercation but is now apparently making a recovery.

“A team of experts independent of the hospital staff were called in to examine physical injuries to Steven's face, head and body that were inconsistent with just a seizure or a fall as a result of a seizure,” a spokeperson for Mr Woolfe told Sky News.

“The team of experts also examined other pieces of evidence including clothing and images relating to those injuries.

“Their report will shine a different light on claims currently being made in the media.”

In response to Mr Woolfe's injury claims, Mr Hookem has released a photograph of his hands, which he said displayed no bruises, cuts or grazes, to back up his insistence that he did not punch his fellow MEP.

Mr Hookem told Channel 4 News on Friday night: “Steven Woolfe came at me, it was a tussle, it lasted two or three seconds before other MEP colleagues came into the ante-room.

“I’d backed off, the door opened, Steven Woolfe somehow fell over his own feet and fell into the room, and that was basically it.”

Steven Woolfe lies unconscious (ITV News)

Asked for more details on how Mr Woolfe fell over, Mr Hookem said “I have no idea”.

“More importantly, I did not punch Steven Woolfe,” he added, also clarifying that “there was no violence” during the tussle.

The MEP, Ukip’s spokesperson on defence issues, is reported to be standing by his version of events and taking legal advice.

Mr Hookem also explained that he left the same meeting early and immediately flew back to the UK from Strasbourg for reasons unrelated to the altercation.

“The day before, one of my assistants was taken very ill, she was in hospital, I was told by the doctor that she had to be taken home and she had to be accompanied on the aircraft,” he told the channel.

“I had to change all of my travel plans, and I accompanied her, I had to go pick her up from the hospital. So I left that meeting early, at 10.30, to go pick this lady up, to take her back to her parents.

“I accompanied her back from the aircraft. At about 3 o’clock in the afternoon I got a text saying Steven had collapsed. That’s all I knew.”

Mr Woolfe is the favourite for next Ukip leader and thought to be Nigel Farage’s favoured successor. He could not stand in the previous leadership election after he was barred by the party’s NEC for missing the form submission deadline.

The party is holding its second leadership election just weeks after Diane James won the first contest. She stepped down as leader this week, suggesting she did not want the job.