A councillor is set to begin his trial after being accused of assaulting a man last year.

Former Labour councillor Haydar Ulus, now an independent councillor for Haselbury ward, will start his trial today at Wood Green Crown Court.

He has been accused of assaulting a man occasioning actual bodily harm during an incident on February 20, 2014.

Cllr Ulus was suspended from the Labour party following the charge.

Principal of investment firm Ulus group, the 36-year-old is accused of hitting a man on three occasions following an argument.

He pleaded not guilty in January of this year which saw the trial set for August 2015, almost 18 months following the incident.

The trial was set to start yesterday however a witness failed to show up.

This meant that the jury was sworn in late afternoon at the court in Lordship Lane.

CCTV footage of the incident at a warehouse is set to be played to the jury today with the trial expected to last no more than four days.

Hatun Firat is also standing trial with Cllr Ulus accused of the same offences during the same incident last February.