A man from Birmingham has been charged with affray following ugly clashes at an English Defence League demonstration in Aylesbury in May last year.
Stuart Bates, aged 41, of Lazyhill, Kings Norton, was charged with affray by Thames Valley Police on May 5. He was bailed and appeared at Aylesbury Magistrates’ Court on Monday where he entered a not guilty plea to the charge. The case was adjourned and the next hearing will be at Aylesbury Crown Court in July.
According to Searchlight Stuart Bates is a regular participant at EDL demonstrations. He is also a trusted member of the BNP West Midlands security team. “In fact Bates is so highly regarded that he was drafted in to provide security for Griffin at the BBC Question Time fiasco and at his High Court appearance.”
Bates has stood as a BNP candidate for Birmingham City Council on a number of occasions. Contesting the Quinton ward in this year’s elections he got 267 votes (3.62%).
It has also been claimed that Bates acted as a bodyguard for Stephen Lennon (“Tommy Robinson”) at the EDL demonstration in Luton in February.