A man has been charged with assaulting Matt Hancock on the London Underground

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A man has been charged with assaulting Matt Hancock, the former health secretary, following an incident on the tube.

Geza Tarjani, from Leyland in Lancashire, has been charged with public assault and offending public order and is due to appear in court next month.

It follows an incident in which the 61-year-old allegedly challenged Mr Hancock over his handling of the Covid pandemic and his support for nationwide lockdowns.

In a video posted online, the suspect can be seen filming as he repeatedly questioned the MP in front of other passengers while a female London Underground worker implored him to stop.

Mr Hancock, who appeared on ITV’s I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! Last year he remained calm and could be heard at one point saying, “I don’t think this aggression is appropriate.”

After getting off the train, the suspect appeared to follow the deputy, who turned around and accused him of pushing him.

Unpleasant meeting

A spokesman for Hancock, who represents West Suffolk but will stand down at the next election, described it as an “unpleasant standoff”.

A British Transport Police (BTP) spokesperson said: “Charges have been brought against a 61-year-old man in relation to a man who was assaulted and harassed at Westminster Underground station on Tuesday 24 January.

Geza Tarjani, of Boundary Street, Leyland, is charged with public assault and offending public order. He is also charged with a second public order offense in connection with a separate incident in Parliament Street on 19 January.

He was released on conditional bail to appear at Westminster Magistrates Court on Wednesday 22nd February.

The incident comes amid ongoing concern about the security of MPs following the murders of Jo Cox and Sir David Ames.

Hancock resigned as Minister of Health in June 2021 when it emerged that he had breached social distancing rules while engaging in an affair with his advisor, Gina Coladangelo.

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