DETECTIVES are investigating allegations of an assault in Bow of a journalist looking into claims of election fraud. Reporter Jerome Taylor was checking out allegations in Rainhill Way at 1.30pm on Bank Holiday Monday when he said he was assaulted. An amb

DETECTIVES are investigating allegations of an assault in Bow of a journalist looking into claims of election fraud.

Reporter Jerome Taylor was checking out allegations in Rainhill Way at 1.30pm on Bank Holiday Monday when he said he was assaulted.

An ambulance crew treated him for cuts to his head.

Police arrested a 16-year-old at the scene who was later released on police bail.

He wrote later: "I explained I was a journalist for The Independent looking to speak to a man at an address in the area, who was standing as a candidate in the local elections, about allegations of postal vote fraud. 'Can we see your note pad,' the boy asked.

"I declined and then the first punch came - landing straight on my nose, sending blood and tears streaming down my face. Then another. Then another.

"I tried to protect myself but a fresh crop of attackers - I guess between four and six - joined in. As they knocked me to the ground one of them brought a traffic cone repeatedly down on the back of my head.

"I don't know how long it lasted - it was probably only a minute - but it was a long minute. I don't remember them saying anything as they did it. The first noise I was aware of was the beeping of a car horn and a woman screaming.

"The noise brought a man out of a nearby block of flats. With little regard for his own safety he waded in and defended me until my attackers ran away.