Egg-thrower considers legal action

Farm worker Craig Evans met his solicitor in Rhyl on Thursday lunchtime following the incident which has set the general election campaign alight.

The 29-year-old - who had been arrested and released on police bail - was described by friends as a down-to-earth countryman who had been driven to throw an egg at Mr Prescott as he arrived at a rally in Rhyl "out of sheer frustration."

Mr Evans, a farm labourer who mends hedges and digs ditches for a living, had been severely hit by the crisis in the countryside.

On Thursday morning the scene outside the detached former chapel house in the tiny north Wales village of Llandyrnog which Mr Evans shares with his partner Gwen resembled the famous one in the film "Notting Hill."

When the couple came to the door they were confronted by the nation's media pack just as Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts were in the film.

"Gwen physically took a step back - you could see how shaken she was," said BBC Wales's reporter Colette Hume.

Mr Evans himself refused to speak when asked by reporters if he regretted throwing the egg - one from his own chickens - at the deputy Labour leader.

A friend of Mr Evans, Barry Henderson, said the attack was completely out of character but added that "it had been a very hard winter."

"All the problems in the farming industry means he has had little works on the farms recently," he said.

"And he is angry at the lack of support for farmers and farm workers."

Peaceful protest

The meeting between Mr Evans and his solicitor later ended without any indication about whether he intended to take the matter further.

Gwyn Jones from the Rhyl-based practice Gamlins, said that in order not to prejudice the matter further, it would be inappropriate to comment on the details of the incident.

But he said his client fully accepted that there had been an incident involving "a public figure" which had got out of control.

Mr Jones said his client had been "in pursuit of a peaceful protest that had become rather heated".

He said the whole matter had amassed a great momentum, and he appealed to the media to leave him in peace now.