Lib Dem leader Williams' 'regret' at Bates abuse claim

Montgomeryshire AM Mick Bates says he has no memory of alleged events

The Welsh Liberal Democrat leader has told of "huge regret" at claims one of her Assembly Members verbally and physically abused a paramedic.

Montgomeryshire AM Mick Bates is alleged to have punched the medic in the chest outside a Cardiff restaurant last month after a drunken night out.

Kirsty Williams said she took the claims "extremely seriously", and that there was no excuse for such behaviour.

The paramedic, who wishes to remain anonymous, intends to press charges.

Mr Bates says he does not remember what happened and has apologised for difficulties he may have caused.

He has stood down as chair of the assembly's sustainability committee and from party front bench duties.

Speaking in the Senedd, Kirsty Williams confirmed that both the University Hospital of Wales local health board and the Welsh ambulance service were conducting ongoing investigations.

Kirsty Williams said her party had 'no tolerance' of abuse of NHS staff

Although the police have said they are investigating an incident, she said the police had not been in contact with Mr Bates.

She added that until these matters are resolved, Mr Bates would be suspended from all his committee responsibilities in Cardiff Bay.

Ms Williams told journalists at her party's weekly media briefing that there was "no excuse for any violence against NHS staff", and that the Liberal Democrats had "no tolerance of abuse of any kind".

She added that all staff needed to be able to do their jobs "without fear of any kind of abuse."

The Brecon and Radnorshire AM, who led her party's annual conference in Swansea last weekend, said that the party's chief executive Joanne Foster had approached both the University Hospital of Wales LHB and the ambulance trust to establish whether or not any investigations were ongoing.

Journalists

Once this was established, Ms Williams explained that both the party and Mr Bates had made it known they would cooperate fully, although neither organisation has so far been in contact with Mr Bates.

Ms Williams said that she did not want to make any comments about the specific allegations, because she did not want to prejudice the outcome of these investigations.

She stressed that no other Lib Dems had been involved in or were present when the alleged incident occurred.

She confirmed that at this stage there were no legal proceedings against Mr Bates, but that she had no idea how long the various investigations could take to complete.

She confirmed that the details of the allegations on Sunday and Monday were first revealed to her by journalists.

She also said that Mr Bates would not be in Cardiff Bay at all this week, and that he would be carrying out duties in the constituency.