Iain Dale, the publisher of former spin doctor Damian McBride, has received a police caution after admitting common assault over a scuffle with a protester during a live television interview in Brighton, Sussex Police said.

Mr Dale voluntarily attended Brighton police station this morning where he admitted the offence of common assault and received the caution.

Iain Dale, who scuffled with campaigner Stuart Holmes as he tried to move him out of shot, admitted his behaviour had been "frankly idiotic".

"I want to apologise and say sorry to Stuart Holmes, who is a passionate campaigner and well known to everyone who attends party conferences and was perfectly entitled to do as he did on Tuesday in trying to get attention for his causes.

"It was totally out of character for me to react to him in the way I did," Mr Dale said.

"I also want to apologise for the blog post I wrote after the incident. It was full of absurd bravado and in the heat of the moment I behaved in a frankly idiotic way."

Chief Superintendent Paul Morrison said: "We respect the rights of people to protest peacefully. We will investigate fairly any allegation regardless of who is involved and we will seek the most appropriate resolution."

The scuffle was captured on film while Mr Dale was conducting a television interview on Brighton seafront on Tuesday.

The city hosted this year's Labour Party Conference.

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