AN inquiry into the behaviour of Wirral Green Party members at a public meeting over the future of Rock Ferry High School has found that they have no case to answer, with allegations made by veteran politician Frank Field deemed “completely unfounded”.

The leader of the national Green Party launched an investigation into the conduct of her members last month at the meeting which saw Mr Field rushed to hospital after a shock collapse.

The 72-year-old’s black-out came after a heated row with some members of the audience on March 13.

Paramedics treated the unconscious MP for around 30 minutes before he was taken by ambulance to Broadgreen Heart and Chest Hospital in Liverpool.

The meeting, at Highfield Church in Rock Ferry, was abandoned and members of the public were asked to leave.

At the time, Mr Field told the Globe he believed the meeting – called to discuss the future of the former high school and the proposed sell-off of associated fields – had been “infiltrated” by political agitators.

He said the “screaming and shouting by a small number of people” was shocking and described it as “pure political thuggery”.

Campaigners denied such behaviour but Natalie Bennett, leader of the national Green Party, launched an investigation.

The findings of the investigation have been published today and say allegations made by Mr Field and Labour councillors present at the meeting were “clear attempts to smear both Green Party members and some local residents”.

The report said: “Frank Field and the Labour councillors ought to be brought to task over curtailing the voice of residents and labelling them, or some of them, as a ‘little group of people’ who have sent ‘mean-spirited’ emails.”

Mr Field wrote to Ms Bennett in March, informing her that five Green Party members had been “going way beyond the sort of behaviour which is regarded as acceptable” and noted that other members of the public found their “activities so offensive that they had been asking them to leave”.

He said that while he was unconscious, one individual tried to take photographs of him, actions which the Birkenhead MP said “greatly upset a lot of people”.

Following Mr Field’s complaint, statements were taken from six witnesses.

The Green Party says it found “no evidence to support” the allegations against any of its members present at the meeting.

It said that while one individual did take a camera from his pocket, he “did not take any picture of the front of the church nor any close-up of Mr Field in a state of collapse”.

The report’s authors, Freda David and Mike Shone, co chairs of Green Party Regional Council – who carried out the investigation – have now called on the Labour Party leader to investigate Mr Field’s behaviour, as well as that of the Labour councillors present for “their unfounded allegations which publicly smeared Wirral Green Party”.

They add: “We believe that Wirral Green Party members are owed a public apology.”

Commenting on the findings of the inquiry, Mr Field said: “I am grateful that this inquiry was conducted. But I'm equally astounded that the Green Party has produced such a whitewash.

“I'm sure that as there were so many voters present at the meeting who saw what happened they'll be able to reach their own decision on this matter.

“But it is disturbing that the Green Party should see the behaviour by some of its members as being in any way acceptable to decent people.”