Men 'tried to handcuff' minister

Ms Kelly was attending a hustings in her Bolton West constituency

Two men threw an egg at Education Secretary Ruth Kelly and attempted to handcuff her during an election debate.

She was attending a question and answer session at St John's Methodist Church Hall, Horwich, in her Bolton West constituency on Tuesday night.

The men grabbed her wrist before audience members intervened.

An egg was thrown, hitting a man, but no-one was injured and the men ran off. Ms Kelly said she was "unnerved but relieved" following the incident.

'Just relieved'

The offenders went along Victoria Road in the direction of Chorley Old Road. No arrests have been made and police inquiries are continuing.

"I was just walking up to the platform to do the hustings with the other candidates and two men appeared from the audience as I was walking up to the platform," Ms Kelly told the BBC.

"There was a bit of a scuffle - they tried to fix handcuffs on to me - and I fought them off. Help arrived and escorted them out of the room.

"Clearly it's a bit unnerving. In the end I was just relieved they didn't manage to put the handcuffs on."