GETTY Remain protestors forced Nigel Farage to cancel a speech today

FREE now and never miss the top politics stories again. SUBSCRIBE Invalid email Sign up fornow and never miss the top politics stories again. We will use your email address only for sending you newsletters. Please see our Privacy Notice for details of your data protection rights.

The Ukip leader had to divert his battle bus from Northampton city centre after hooded pro-Brussels activists flooded the area where he was due to speak. Mr Farage said the “undemocratic” Remain activists, some with their faces covered, wanted to “drown out debate” as they held up obscene placards and chanted loudly.

And he pledged to carry on campaigning for Britain to leave the EU, insisting those who want to use intimidatory tactics to scare people into backing Brussels will not win. The prominent Eurosceptic was forced to cancel the planned speech at the last minute after Ukip officials realised they could not guarantee his safety, or that of the sizeable crowd of locals who had gathered to hear him speak. WHO'S WHO: BREXIT CAMPAIGNS

GETTY The masked activists flooded Northampton's market square

GETTY Police had to attend as the situation heated up

Have been busy spreading the pro-Brexit message here in Northamptonshire. #BrexitBusTour pic.twitter.com/QJcq7P4Y3S — Nigel Farage (@Nigel_Farage) May 31, 2016

Ukip MEP Roger Helmer, who represents the East Midlands constituency which Northampton sits in, tweeted that the protesters had been carrying eggs that they planned to hurl at his party leader. He raged: “How come people who call themselves ‘Hope not Hate’ adopt aggressive Fascist tactics, and oppose free speech?” Around 40 far-left activists gathered in the city’s Market Square yesterday carrying obscene anti-Ukip banners, one of which read “f*** off Nigel”. They chanted “say it loud, say it clear, refugees welcome here” and had to be separated from the main crowd by police as they waited for the Ukip leader to arrive. The crowd then cheered loudly when a policeman announced that he would no longer be attending.

For a group of people to turn up with the intention of drowning out a debate is frankly anti-democratic and wrong Nigel Farage

Instead his purple battle bus, which is travelling the length and breadth of the UK making the case for Brexit, had to be diverted to a local pub where he conducted media interviews, with the speech being cancelled. Afterwards Mr Farage said: “I do feel bad frankly. I’ve been going round the country doing this for two decades. “It’s all well and good to disagree with people but are you going to do it in a sensible democratic manner? “This is our chance to have a national debate. “For a group of people to turn up with the intention of drowning out a debate is frankly anti-democratic and wrong. “If we turn up as we did this morning into a busy market place at random, as we did in Birmingham this morning, you will not get that sort of behaviour.”

GETTY The activists marched through the town holding obscene banners

GETTY A sizeable crowd had gathered to welcome the UKIP leader

How come people who call themselves "Hope not Hate" adopt aggressive Fascist tactics, and oppose free speech? — Roger Helmer (@RogerHelmerMEP) May 31, 2016

Northampton: "Hope not Hate" activists reportedly left with a good supply of eggs. Maybe they'll make an omelette. — Roger Helmer (@RogerHelmerMEP) May 31, 2016