THE leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats said today that the party would co-operate fully with investigations into an AM accused of assaulting a paramedic on a drunken night out.

Kirsty Williams said she wanted to "get to the bottom" of allegations against Montgomeryshire AM Mick Bates, who has been relieved of frontbench duties and suspended as a scrutiny committee chairman.

He was taken to hospital after he fell down stairs and split his head at a Cardiff restaurant last month.

Mr Bates said he did not remember the incident and had apologised for any concern or difficulty he might have caused.

An unnamed paramedic was reported yesterday to have claimed that the AM delivered a tirade of verbal abuse and punched him in the chest while he was trying to give first aid.

It was also reported that a police officer was called to the ambulance to give Mr Bates a warning and that the paramedic intended to press charges.

South Wales Police confirmed it was looking at the circumstances surrounding an alleged incident in the city centre.

The allegations came a day after it emerged that separate claims were being investigated that Mr Bates verbally abused staff at the University Hospital of Wales where he was taken after his fall.

At her weekly press briefing in the Assembly, Mrs Williams said her party and Mr Bates would co-operate fully with investigations being carried out by the ambulance service and the Cardiff and Vale University Health Board.

"They have confirmed that they are making inquiries into the behaviour of Mick Bates and I don't want to comment on that any further because I don't want to prejudice any inquiries that those organisations are rightfully carrying out," she said.

"We take these allegations very seriously and there is no excuse for violence toward NHS staff. Let me make that absolutely clear."

She added: "I have no reason to doubt what Mick has said, but obviously the initial allegations I was presented with were not as serious as the subsequent testament of the paramedic concerned."

She said Mr Bates was carrying out duties in his mid-Wales constituency and was not expected in the Assembly this week.

"If any member of my party has been involved in an incident of that kind it's hugely a matter of regret," she said.

"There are very serious allegations made about a member of my party and I want to get to the bottom of that.

"We were aware that Mick Bates had sustained a head injury. It would be particularly difficult to avoid that issue. He was wandering around here with seven staples in his head."

She said Mr Bates was with someone at the time, but that person was not a party member.

Party chiefs first learned of the allegations about his behaviour in the early hours of January 20 when a journalist rang for a comment last week.

Asked if Mr Bates could have the party whip removed, Mrs Williams said: "There are, as I understand it at this stage, no legal proceedings against Mick Bates.

"If legal proceedings are started against Mick Bates we will review the situation."