Protest in Rotheram sees Nigel Farage forced to cancel public appearance

Ukip leader Nigel Farage was today made to call off a public appearance in Rotherham because of protests outside a new campaign office.

There was speculation, including from Labour's Rotherham MP Sarah Champion, that Mr Farage was trapped in the office by demonstrators.

But a spokeswoman said that was "utter nonsense" and that he had been able to leave through the front door past protesters after conducting interviews from inside the campaign hub.

He had been due to cut the ribbon on the campaign office of would-be MP Jane Collins but didn't come out on police advice.

Sitting MP Sarah Champion said his visit to the town amounted to "rubber-necking" after a damning report into the mishandling of child sex abuse allegations saw the government take over the functions of the council.

But Mr Farage denied he was exploiting what had happened to stir up racial divisions.

"We're the one party that's warned consistently against division within society and multiculturalism and we've warned against it for years," he said.

"We want interculturalism. We've got different religions and faiths but we have to mix together and we have to live under one law.

"So I think to accuse us of exploiting it is not fair. We have warned for years that things have been going wrong with increasing divisions within society."

A spokeswoman added the protesters outside the campaign office were "left wing" attack dogs who did not represent the "real people of Rotherham".

Additional reporting by PA