A man has been charged with harassing Hove MP Mike Weatherley, The Argus can reveal.

Former University of Sussex postgraduate student Alex Cline, 24, of Wenlock House, North Street, Brighton, is accused of a public order offence in relation to the MP.

Cline, who graduated from the university in September, appeared at court where he faced one count of ‘using threatening/abusive/ insulting words/behaviour to cause harassment/alarm/distress’.

The charge names Mr Weatherley as the victim and said the alleged offence took place on November 14.

Cline, understood to be a “conceptual architect”, denied the charge and is due to stand trial at the same court. He was released on unconditional bail.

A police spokeswoman confirmed that he had been “charged with a Section 4A offence under the Public Order Act following an incident at the university.”

Mr Weatherley and his colleagues previously told how they were pelted with rocks, eggs and tomatoes after a crowd turned on them at the university.

He was due to give a talk to the university’s Young Conservative group about his controversial squatting law when he was allegedly chased out of the lecture theatre and across the campus.

He eventually sought refuge in a another lecture theatre. Speaking at the time, he said: “Anarchists arrived and started throwing rocks, tomatoes and eggs. One of my staff was hit with a rock.

“We had to run through the blocks and were locked in a safe room which was then besieged. I am very angry that that this could happen.”