David Cameron was struck by a student during a visit to a college in Plymouth

UK leader hit by egg on campaign

David Cameron was struck by a student during a visit to a college in Plymouth

Hoodlum: A police officer escorts the student who threw an egg at Cameron during his election campaign visit to Cornwall College. PIC/AFP

The Conservative leader made light of the incident, which occurred after he had held a question and answer session with a group of students at Cornwall College, in Saltash near Plymouth.

Just as he was leaving the college's library, a student wearing a grey hoodie top threw the egg, striking Cameron on the right shoulder. Parts of the egg, which broke on impact, made a mark on his white shirt and splashed on to a detective who was following Cameron out of the door.

The first one

When the egg hit, Cameron made light of the incident, joking, "The first one of the campaign."

The incident happened a day after Cameron was accosted by a reporter dressed in a chicken suit who had been hired by a tabloid newspaper to follow him around for the first half of the election campaign.

Referring to that incident, he added, "I now can answer one of the fundamental questions of life, which came first the chicken of the egg? I know".

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Hitsu00a0and misses
Tony Blair: Two members of campaign group Fathers 4 Justice managed to throw condoms filled with purple-coloured flour at the former PM during his weekly question and answer session in the House of Commons. George Bush: During a farewell speech in Iraq, a native journalist threw some footwear at him, yelling, "This is a gift from the Iraqis: this is the farewell kiss, you dog." Arnold Schwarzenegger: He was hit by an egg in 2003, while speaking at California State University during his governor campaign. Brilliantly he joked that he needed bacon to go with it.

Emily Taylor (24), a trainee midwife who witnessed the attack, said someone shouted as it struck, "You can't do that, it's David Cameron."

The student who threw the egg was later led away byu00a0 Cameron's security team and was seen being taken away by local police in a police van.

Students were shocked about the attack on Cameron. One said, "We don't want to let this one person give a bad image to Saltash College."

College sources suggestedu00a0 that the college would investigate the incident using its normal disciplinary procedures.

A spokesman for the college said, "We are extremely disappointed that the actions of one student marred this otherwise excellent opportunity to engage students in the election process."

A spokesman for Devon and Cornwall Police said a 16-year-old student was initially arrested for throwing the egg but the decision to arrest him was later reversed.

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