Police investigate allegation Taylor Swift’s father hit paparazzi photographer after Sydney Eras concert

NSW police claim an alleged incident occurred around 2.30am on Tuesday and the photographer did not require medical attention.

New South Wales police are investigating allegations Taylor Swift’s father assaulted a member of the paparazzi in Sydney, hours after the sold-out Eras Tour wrapped up in Australia.

NSW police have been told that Scott Swift, 71, allegedly assaulted photographer Ben McDonald, 51, at the Neutral Bay wharf around 2.30am on Tuesday.

McDonald told Guardian Australia that Taylor Swift and her entourage were cruising the harbour on a superyacht late at night after completing her final Australian show.

The superstar got off the boat and walked down the wharf, surrounded by security, who McDonald alleges pushed umbrellas into his face and camera.

Once she was in her car, McDonald alleges a man struck him in the face before also getting in the car and driving away.

“I didn’t realise it was her dad at the time,” McDonald said. “It was a bit of a shock but I’ll leave the police to do their job.”

McDonald said he used images he had taken to identify the man as Scott Swift.

He made the allegation to police and inquiries were under way by officers at the North Shore police area command. Police said McDonald did not require medical attention.

No charges have been laid.

A Taylor Swift spokesperson did not respond directly to questions about the allegation against Swift’s father but claimed that two unidentified individuals were “aggressively pushing their way towards Taylor, grabbing at her security personnel, and threatening to throw a female staff member into the water”.

Taylor Swift wrapped up the Australian leg of her Eras Tour in Sydney on Monday night.

She performed to her largest crowd ever at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on 16 February, performing two more times in Melbourne and wowing audiences at four shows at Sydney’s Accor Stadium.

An estimated 600,000 people watched her perform over the last two weekends in Australia.