Five people have been arrested after former Tory party leader Iain Duncan Smith was allegedly assaulted by being hit on the head with a traffic cone.

The senior Conservative has said he was pursued by a group on his way to a Brexit talk on the fringes of the Tory party conference in Manchester on Monday.

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said three men and two women were arrested after reports of an assault at around 4pm on Portland Street.

Duncan Smith was walking to the Mercure Manchester Piccadilly Hotel where he was involved in a talk with Brexit minister Lord Frost.

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The Spectator magazine quoted Duncan Smith as saying: “For half a second I was about to go up and punch them, I went forward and they all backed off – I nearly knocked them out, lost my rag. I can’t tell you very much other than they just followed us, used abusive language, attacked us and used a cone.

“They were shouting all along and then they smashed the cone on the back of my head and so I turned and grabbed the cone and looked at them and I took a pace towards them and they backed off. I threw the cone on the ground, said ‘pathetic’ and turned and walked off.”

A friend of Duncan Smith said he was walking with his wife Betsy at the time of the incident and escaped without injury.

GMP said officers were on the scene within three minutes after receiving reports of an assault.

“There aren’t believed to be any serious injuries, and following a short foot pursuit three men and two women have been arrested in connection with it, and remain in custody for questioning,” a statement said.

“Enquiries are ongoing.”