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LONDON (AP) -- A British man campaigning for more rights for divorced or separated fathers was arrested Friday after he handcuffed himself to a government minister.
Officials said that Minister for Children Margaret Hodge was speaking at a family law conference in the city of Manchester when she was cornered by the man, a member of the Fathers 4 Justice group, known for its headline grabbing stunts.
Police said the man handcuffed himself to the legislator, trapping Hodge for more than 30 minutes until police arrived to free her and arrest him.
The Department for Education said that Hodge was unharmed and continued with her speech.
Fathers 4 Justice said the man made "a citizens arrest" to draw attention to what the group perceives as inadequate rights for separated or divorced fathers.
The group said that two of its members were involved in the incident -- Jolly Stanesby and Jason Hatch, who earlier this year scaled Buckingham Palace dressed as Batman to promote the same agenda. It wasn't clear which of the two handcuffed himself to the minister.
Other displays by the group in recent months included sending a man dressed as Spiderman to scale the London Eye Ferris wheel and another to throw purple flour at Prime Minister Tony Blair in the Commons debating chamber.
Last month, four members were convicted of disorderly conduct for scaling a suspension bridge in Bristol dressed as comic book characters.
Blair's government in July unveiled proposals aimed at helping parents resolve child custody issues, but ruled out legislation to ensure that separated fathers and mothers would have equal access.