Inside the famous John Prescott punch as former deputy PM passes away

The passing of John Prescott at the age of 86 has ignited conversations about the Labour stalwart's illustrious political career, notably marked in its later stages by the incident where he punched a member of the public.

The family of Mr Prescott confirmed his death on social media this morning, stating that the former MP and active member of the House of Lords had succumbed to a lengthy battle with Alzheimer's.

, previously known as Twitter, they fondly remembered the ex-Labour deputy as a man who "spent his life trying to improve the lives of others", adding that he passed away surrounded by his loved ones while listening to "the jazz music of Marian Montgomery". While the politician's remarkable career has been widely commemorated since the news emerged, the first thing that comes to mind for many is the memorable moment he punched a member of the public.

Mr Prescott, then serving as the Labour deputy leader, was part of the Labour campaign trail as the party sought re-election in 2001 and was visiting Rhyl, in north Wales, to address a rally. It was during this rally, the notorious moment he punched a protester who had thrown an egg at him occurred.

He was filmed walking down a street in the Welsh town alongside a group of protesters who had gathered to argue low local agricultural wages and Labour's endorsement of a fox hunting ban. Dramatic scenes unfolded as Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott was caught in a scuffle on the streets, following an incident where he was hit with an egg.

The chaos was captured on video, showing Mr Prescott entangled with a protester, his suit lapel marked by the remnants of the egg, reports the Mirror.

It transpired that the protester had lobbed the egg at the politician, who retaliated with a swift left-handed punch. As the footage rolls on, police and onlookers are seen escorting the deputy PM away from the turmoil.

The egg-thrower was identified as Craig Evans, an agricultural worker, while Mr Prescott maintained he acted in self-defence. No further police action ensued.

At the time, Mr Prescott stated: "I got off my bus into an already hostile crowd. I walked through all the jostling and I was attacked by an individual. In the melee that followed I clearly defended myself. I believe that someone is now being questioned by the police and it would be quite wrong of me to add any further comment."

Local farm labourer Ron Ingram from Kinmel Bay, near Rhyl, witnessed the altercation and described the moment, saying: "Somebody threw an egg and Prescott just turned around and thumped them. I saw it. We were just protesting."

"The egg hit him and he hit out. There was pushing and shoving going on something terrible. It got quite nasty. We are just farmers and we are trying to earn a living. He wants to try living on £100 a week."

Although the altercation was indeed shocking, it did not deter public support for Labour; subsequent polls indicated that the public largely endorsed his actions. The fray also gave rise to an immortal quip from then-Prime Minister Tony Blair, who when asked in 2005 if he himself would throw a punch responded: "No, but John is John and I'm lucky to have him as my deputy."