Galloway 'kicked and taunted in sectarian attack'

A group of six men threatened and almost pushed him on to a luggage carousel after arriving at Glasgow Airport yesterday, he said.

The former Glasgow Kelvin Labour MP believes he was targeted by men returning from an Orange Walk in London for being a known Celtic supporter.

He told the Daily Record: "There was one guy I would describe as a ringleader who said 'I don't like your radio talk, I don't like your newspaper talk, I have a religious duty to knock you down'."

Police confirmed they are investigating the alleged assault and studying CCTV footage.

The Bethnal Green and Bow MP had arrived from London on a British Midland flight to give a talk at Glasgow's Royal Concert Hall.

The MP has a high media profile and, along with appearing on last year's Celebrity Big Brother, hosts a TalkSport radio phone-in.

Mr Galloway said the "terrifying experience" began on the plane after he was recognised and a group of men began taunting and threatening him.

"They were referring to me as a 'Fenian b ' and 'f Fenian scumbag' and other vile names and threatening to attack me when I got to Glasgow," he added.

"I had a feeling of dread. I hurried off the plane and got to the luggage carousel as quickly as possible and prayed my bag would come first but, of course, it didn't.

"The group came up behind me and they were straight in with the sectarian insults and threats."

He went on to say: "I felt one man kick me on one ankle and I was then kicked on the other ankle.

"The next thing I knew, I was bounced in the back by someone's belly and virtually knocked on to the carousel itself."

Mr Galloway said that by the time he complained to the police, a separate complaint had been made by a traffic warden about a group of men shouting sectarian slogans outside.

A Strathclyde Police spokeswoman said today that an incident at Glasgow Airport was being investigated.

She added: "We can confirm we have received a complaint from Mr Galloway and inquiries are ongoing."