Nigel Farage speech interrupted by fellow MEP holding 'He's lying to you' sign

Nigel Farage has been embarrassed by a fellow Member of the European Parliament (MEP) during a speech in which the former Ukip leader defended Donald Trump’s Muslim travel ban.

Seb Dance, a Labour MEP representing London, sat behind Mr Farage and held up a sign reading ‘He’s lying to you’ with an arrow pointing towards him.

Ukip has written to the Parliament's President, Antonio Tajani, to complain about the incident and accuse officials of failing to treat it "with sufficient serious".

Mr Farage was speaking during a debate on the USA's new border controls. He used his speech to praise Donald Trump and attack those criticising the Republican’s ban on immigration to the US from seven Muslim countries.

He said: "It seems to me with all the anti-Trump rhetoric that is coming from everywhere, actually what we are hearing is the true nature of the European project, which is genuine anti-Americanism.

"Trump is motivated by protecting the United States of America from Islamic terrorism whereas what has happened in this room and in governments around Europe is that you have welcome these people into your own homes.

Mr Farage is close to the new US President, having campaigned for him in the weeks leading up to last November's election and become the first British politician to meet with the Republican following his shock victory over Hillary Clinton.

In his speech on Wednesday, the former Ukip leader proposed inviting Mr Trump to speak at the European Parliament, saying: “All of us here say we’re democrats - well here’s a chance to prove it.

“Let us invite President Trump to come here to this European Parliament. I’m sure as democrats you’d all agree that we need to do is have an open dialogue with the newly-elected, most powerful man in the world.

“And if you throw that rejection back in my face then you prove yourself to be the anti-democratic zealots that I always thought you were.”

In a statement, Mr Dance said he held up the sign as a way to "protest in the only way I knew how".

He said: "Mainstream politics must be more willing to challenge the nationalists and the populists. They pretend to stand up for people who are suffering but their diet of hate, division and suspicion create only misery and poverty. It's time to stop the nuanced language: they're liars."

"Nigel Farage is regularly treated to free coverage by virtue of being leader of the EFDD [Ukip's European Parliamentary group] and Ukip often use these clips in isolation on social media.

"When debates are time-limited it is impossible to challenge what he's saying, so I protested in the only way I knew how at that point, which was to grab a piece of paper, write a very simple message on it and sit behind Nigel Farage during his usual diatribe."

Mr Trump's ban on immigration to the US from seven Muslim countries has been met with a barrage of opposition from other world leaders, fellow US Republicans and millions of people who have joined protests and signed petitions against it.

The billionaire businessman continued to defend the policy on Wednesday, tweeting: "Everyone is arguing whether or not it is a BAN. Call it what you want, it is about keeping bad people (with bad intentions) out of country!".