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An 81-year-old Brexit Party volunteer who served in the British armed forces for 22 years has had a milkshake thrown over him near an Aldershot polling station.

Don MacNaughton told SurreyLive he was “making a presence” for the Brexit Party for the European Elections when a man started shouting abuse at him. He then had the milkshake thrown at him in North Lane at around 7.30am on Thursday (May 23), just half-an-hour after setting up a stall.

Despite the incident, Mr MacNaughton said he would remain at the scene and continue to wear the shirt with pride to display the “war wound”. He has refused lifts back to his Aldershot home and declined offers of a replacement shirt from sympathetic residents.

Hampshire Constabulary said it is investigating the reports of “an assault” and have been trying to make contact with the party volunteer.

Speaking to SurreyLive about the incident, the 81-year-old said: “Basically a youth in his early 20s gave me the middle finger, then went into a shop, obviously bought a milkshake and threw it over me.

“The police took a statement from me, but I didn’t get a great look at them. He was wearing a dark tracksuit and was of a slight build. He came around the corner about 10 minutes before and gave me the finger. I just started laughing and he started shouting abuse at me. Then he came back and threw it at me. I just couldn’t believe it.

“It wasn’t comically funny, but I just found it hilariously funny. It is a shame we could not have debated political issues.”

Mr MacNaughton, originally from Canada, moved to the area to join the British military, where he stayed for 22 years.

He added: “What happened is not going to halt me from doing it. I am just here raising awareness as a volunteer of the Brexit Party.

“I help hand out leaflets and today I am helping to make a presence.”

A spokesman for Hampshire Constabulary said: “We received a report at 10.06am from a third party about an assault on a man in his 80s at North Lane, Aldershot.

“We are investigating the incident and are trying to make contact with the victim.”