Boris Johnson drops investigation into Mark Field for grabbing Greenpeace protester at gala dinner

A Whitehall investigation into senior Tory Mark Field for grabbing a Greenpeace protester at a gala dinner has been dropped, No10 confirmed today.

Mr Field was suspended last month over the incident at a Mansion House dinner during a speech by the Chancellor.

He lost his job as a minister when Boris Johnson took over in Number 10.

He had been suspended from his job at the Foreign Office while a Cabinet Office investigation was carried out into him manhandling Greenpeace activist Janet Barker as a protest disrupted a black tie dinner in the City of London.

A Number 10 source said: “Mark Field has now left the Government.

“The current PM considers this issue was a matter for the previous PM concerning his conduct during his time as a minister under her appointment.”

The Cities of London and Westminster MP was a prominent supporter of Mr Johnson’s leadership rival Jeremy Hunt.

He was sacked as part of the new prime minister’s brutal cabinet reshuffle last week.

Footage of the incident, which quickly spread online, showed protester Janet Barker passing behind Mr Field’s chair at the annual Bankers and Merchants Dinner at Mansion House on June 21.

She and her fellow protesters had stormed the dinner as Chancellor Philip Hammond delivered a speech on the ‘state of UK politics’ and how Brexit could impact the UK economy. 

The MP responded by shoving Ms Barker against a pillar by her neck and pushing her away out of the room.

The Greenpeace activist said she had been left “shaken up” by the ordeal but would not be pressing charges against Mr Field.

She also called for him to undergo anger management classes.

Mr Field said he felt “deep regret” at the episode and apologised “unreservedly” to Ms Barker.

In a statement to ITV in June, he said: “In the confusion many guests understandably felt threatened and when one protester rushed past me towards the top table I instinctively reacted.

“There was no security present and I was for a split-second genuinely worried she might have been armed.

“As a result I grasped the intruder firmly in order to remove her from the room as swiftly as possible.

“I deeply regret this episode and unreservedly apologise to the lady concerned for grabbing her but in the current climate I felt the need to act decisively to close down the threat to the safety of those present.”

City of London Police said at the time they were looking into a “small number of third party reports” related to the incident. 

It has now emerged police also dropped their inquiry into Mr Field over the last few weeks. They will be taking no further action.