The incident occurred on the Brighton seafront in front of TV cameras
The incident occurred on the Brighton seafront in front of TV cameras

Radio presenter and Tory blogger Iain Dale has been filmed wrestling with high-profile nuclear protester Stuart Holmes after he attempting to disrupt an interview with spin doctor Damian McBride.

The LBC Drive presenter was filmed grappling with Holmes, who regularly holds up anti-nuclear placards in clear view of TV cameras, as McBride was plugging his controversial new book Power Trip on ITV's Daybreak.

Dale - who runs BiteBack, the firm publishing McBride's new book - later admitted he went "nuclear" during the incident.

As the pair began to tumble to the ground during the fight Holmes' dog appears to forget his loyalty and attack his owner. The barking from the dog - who was also wearing a placard reading 'No Nukes' - could be heard live on air during ITV's broadcast.

Soon after the incident, Dale tweeted: "Oh dear, I seem to have gone nuclear... Mirror photographer tells me I did what the snappers have wanted to do for years!"

He also published his side of the story on his personal blog, writing: "I was waiting in my car to drive him to do his next interview with Nick Ferrari on LBC when I noticed that a protester was holding a placard behind Damian which was filling a lot of the screen and totally distracting from the interview.

"I assumed someone from Daybreak would intervene to stop him, but no one did. So I did what any self-respecting publisher would do, got out of the car, ran across, got him in an armlock and pulled him out of the shot.

"He started resisting and we ended up in an unseemly tumble on the ground.

"I was conscious of the photographers and other cameramen who were present filming the whole thing, but I was determined this idiot shouldn't disrupt what was an important interview for my author."

He added: "Anyone who has seen the pictures and video can see that there was no real violence. I certainly didn't hurt the guy. He threw a punch at me but missed, and the only injury was when the man's dog bit him on the bum."

Sussex police confirmed they are looking into the incident.

Holmes appeared in the background of news reports earlier this year when he continuously protested during the speeding points trial of Chris Huhne's ex-wife Vicky Pryce.