The former bouncer at the centre of a political storm over Labour's heavy-handed eviction of delegates from the party conference has defended himself.

Joe Ifill, 40, from Hove, yesterday said: "I'm no thug."

Mr Ifill, a conference steward, spoke to The Argus in response to accusations he roughly manhandled a delegate during scenes which embarrassed Labour on Wednesday.

Mr Ifill's part in the eviction sparked a storm of protest, prompting angry complaints over the way 82-year-old Walter Wolfgang, a Labour stalwart and a Jewish refugee from Hitler's Germany, and fellow protester Steve Forrest were marched out of the Brighton Centre.

Mr Ifill, a former Brighton nightclub door supervisor and cousin of Sheffield United footballer Paul Ifill, says he has nothing to apologise for.

He said he was only doing his job.

Mr Ifill, a former Sussex FA referee and Sunday League football club manager, was pictured on TV footage next to Mr Wolfgang who was dragged from his seat in the balcony of the Brighton Centre and marched out for heckling and apparently shouting "nonsense" as Jack Straw spoke about Iraq.

But Mr Ifill, a member of Hove Labour who has been a steward at the last five Labour conferences, said he had nothing to do with Mr Wolfgang's ejection.

He said: "I was concentrating on the man sitting next to him, Steve Forrest, a party member from Erith and Thamesmead. I was told You go to him'."

Mr Forrest has complained at being pushed against a wall as he was ejected from the building and had his pass confiscated by security officials.

Mr Ifill said: "The whole thing has been blown up out of all proportion. At no time did we manhandle him."

"We used minimum force to take him from the conference hall and centre. He was very agitated. We were just doing our job but the media have blown it out of all proportion.

"They have been asking questions about my past and have been in contact with members of my family including the mother of my cousin.

"This will probably be my last conference as a steward, but not because of the fuss about the way we handled the situation, but because I have had five years of good fun as a steward and want to change."

Mr Ifill has been an active member of Hove Labour Party for more than 20 years.

Last night, he was protesting outside the Corn Exchange, Brighton, at the inclusion of Stephen Green, a member of Christian Voice which opposes homosexuality, on TV's Question Time panel.

Politicians of all parties, including Prime Minister Tony Blair, have questioned the way Mr Wolfgang, a party member for 57 years, was treated.

Mr Blair was forced to say sorry in a round of TV interviews, following Wednesday's embarrassing scenes.

Mr Wolfgang returned to the centre for yesterday's final day of the conference and was given a warm reception by delegates. Mr Forrest was not seen at the conference.

Mr Wolfgang, a life-long member of the Labour Party, had his conference accreditation confiscated by police under anti-terror laws.

He eventually received his credentials back.

Wearing a blue suit and a CND badge on his lapel, he told reporters that what had happened to him was not really important when compared with other issues such as nuclear disarmament.

He said: "When mistakes are made the important thing is that they are rectified.

"We made a mistake by invading Iraq by force. We should recognise that. We would make another mistake if we had another round of nuclear weapons."

Mr Ifill would not reveal what instructions stewards had been given regarding the ejecting of hecklers and protesters.