The UK government petition calling for Donald Trump to be banned from Britain for 'hate speech' has become the most popular ever, signed by more than 450,000 people.

But the tycoon remains defiant, accusing Britons of 'trying hard to disguise their massive Muslim problem' and said his critics are just 'pandering to political correctness'.

In a series of outbursts, the billionaire tycoon said 'UK politicians should be thanking me' for his claim that some of the country's Muslim communities are no-go areas because of extremism.

He also attacked 'out of touch' MPs who abused him over his demand for an end to Muslim immigration to America, tweeting this afternoon: 'Everybody is wise to what is happening, very sad! Be honest!'

And he hit back at the hundreds of thousands signing the official petition demanding Mr Trump - the frontrunner to be the Republican Presidential candidate - be banned from Britain, writing on Twitter: 'They don't know what they're getting into'.

During a CNN interview last night as he faced worldwide condemnation for his comments he said: 'I am the least racist person you have ever met.'

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Hitting back: Donald Trump, pictured on US television yesterday, has accused British politicians of 'pandering to political correctness' for criticising his comments about extremism in the UK

Message: Mr Trump turned on his critics and said that they were not being dishonest and says 'everyone is wise to what is happening'

Mr Trump has caused worldwide consternation after a string of incendiary remarks since Monday about Muslims..

He said he was 'calling for a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country's representatives can figure out what is going on'.

TIMELINE: HOW DONALD TRUMP HIT BACK AT CRITICS OVER 12 HOURS 8pm EST/1am UK time: As seven people a second sign a petition to have the tycoon banned from Britain and MPs queue up to criticise him, Donald Trump's campaign team puts out a statement in the billionaire's name. It says: 'The UK politicians should be thanking me instead of pandering to political correctness'. Citing a MailOnline story on several serving police backing his claims on no-go areas he said: 'In fact, in an article out today, many police officers in London have come forward to confirm their fears of terrorism. I only said what needed to be said'. On Facebook he also says of UK politicians: 'Government elites continue to be out of touch with the facts on the ground. Great leaders listen to and support law enforcement officials - they don't bury their head in the sand.' 10pm EST/3am UK time: Trump appears on CNN and says he's not racist and says his Muslim friends think his proposed immigration ban is a ‘brilliant idea’. 7am EST/Midday UK time: After 400,000 sign the petition and more criticism overnight Donald Trump tweets that Britain is in denial about its ‘massive Muslim problem’. Advertisement

Justifying his comments later, he claimed that in Britain 'we have places in London and other places that are so radicalised that police are afraid for their own lives'.

Yesterday MailOnline revealed several serving police officers agreed with his claims.

In a statement released overnight, Mr Trump seized on the report, saying: 'Many police officers in London have come forward to confirm their fears of terrorism.

'I only said what needed to be said, and when I am elected no one will be tougher or smarter than me'.

However MPs have lined up to criticise the billionaire and called him a 'hate preacher' and 'dangerous demagogue' who should be banned from Britain.

But in the statement he hit back: 'The UK politicians should be thanking me instead of pandering to political correctness'.

He added: 'Government elites continue to be out of touch with the facts on the ground. Great leaders listen to and support law enforcement officials - they don't bury their head in the sand.'

Mr Trump also reacted with fury after First Minister Nicola Sturgeon stripped him of his role as a Scottish 'business ambassador' - and he also lost an honorary degree.

The US presidential contender owns two major golf courses and plans to spend £200million in the country, and said: 'I have done so much for Scotland. If they were going to do this, they should have informed me prior to my major investment'.

The remarks did nothing to take the heat out of the row, and at midday UK time he wrote on Twitter: 'The United Kingdom is trying hard to disguise their massive Muslim problem. Everybody is wise to what is happening, very sad! Be honest.'

However, the number of signatures on the petition continued to rise and at around 6pm UK time became the most signed on the government website, beating the previous record of 446,482 on a petition calling for an end to 'all immigration and close the UK borders until ISIS is defeated'.

The Trump petition is now almost certain to be debated by MPs in the New Year.

More than 450,000 people have signed the petition calling for Mr Trump to be banned from the UK, the most ever recorded on the government website

British Muslims today called him 'another Hitler' for his claims about radicalisation in the UK

Outside the East London Mosque in Whitechapel, one of the largest Muslim communities in the UK, Algerian-born perfume seller Zaineddine Amer, 22, told The Times: 'He's another Hitler.'

Rukia Begum, 25, told the newspaper: 'It's getting scary now the way some of these people are talking about Muslims, when you learn about Hitler and what happened it was never that real because we had no experience of suffering but now you see it creeping up.'

An East London Mosque spokesman said: 'The last time we heard this kind of rhetoric was in Nazi Germany and we all know what that led to'.

Anger: British politicians have called for the Republican to be banned from Britain over his comments and his idea to ban Muslims entering America

In an interview with CNN last night, Mr Trump boasted: 'I am the least racist person you have ever met.'

But he has found himself facing calls to be barred for standing as president if he wins the backing of the Republican party.

WILL TRUMP JOIN LOVE COACH, FRENCH COMIC AND FAR-RIGHT MP BANNED FROM THE UK? Pick-up coach Julien Blanc November 2014: 'Pick up coach' Julien Blanc joined a short list of people banned from the UK in recent years. He runs a company that claims to teach men to seduce women and make them 'beg' for sex but was stopped from flying in to the UK for a 'bootcamp'. Critics say his methods, such as threatening to commit suicide and isolating women from friends, are abusive and controlling and more than 136,000 people signed a petition for him to be refused a visa and Home Office ministers intervened. Dieudonne M'Bala M'Bala February 2014: French celebrity Dieudonne M'bala M'bala was banned last year. The 'comedian', with convictions for inciting racial hatred, was at the centre of a Premier League anti-Semitism row. He said he would come to London to support then West Bromwich Albion striker Nicolas Anelka, who did a 'quenelle' salute. But the Home Office decided he was not allowed into the country, adding him to Britain's banned list. American blogger Pamela Geller 2013: Conservative American bloggers Pamela Geller and Robert Spencer were banned. They are the founders of the anti-Muslim group Stop Islamization of America and they run the website Jihad Watch. Both were planning on speaking at an English Defence League march in Woolwich, where Lee Rigby was murdered. Far-right Dutch MP Geert Wilders 2009: Far-right Dutch MP Geert Wilders was turned back at Heathrow as he tried to defy a ban on entering Britain. He was barred from the UK because he was likely to incite hatred and his visit a threat to 'community harmony and therefore public security'. He was seized by border guards after his aircraft touched down, and questioned for more than an hour before flying back to the Netherlands. American 'shock jock' radio presenter Michael Savage 2009: Controversial American 'shock jock' radio presenter Michael Savage was barred from entering the UK. Savage said: 'You know, when I see a woman walking around with a burqa, I see a Nazi.' He has called the Koran 'a book of hate' and added that some Muslims, at least, 'need deportation'. The Right-wing radio presenter's hardline views on Islam, rape and autism have also caused outrage in the US. Advertisement

The billionaire said his comments had my sent 'my poll numbers have just been announced and have gone through the roof' and admitted he could stand as an independent candidate.

Mr Trump also spoke in greater detail about his proposal to stop allowing Muslims into the United States.

'I'm doing good for the Muslims,' Trump said, adding: 'Many Muslim friends of mine are in agreement with me. They say, "Donald, you brought something up to the fore that is so brilliant and so fantastic.

He added that 'one of the most important people in Middle East' thanked him for his plan.

As for whether or not Trump feared how this might impact his own business dealings in the Middle East, he said; 'What I am doing right now is far more important than any business in the Middle East.'

Today he also cancelled a visit to Israel to see Benjamin Netanyahu and said he'd go 'after I become President'.

Heavyweight boxing legend Muhammad Ali has criticised the Republican presidential front-runner, calling on Muslims 'to stand up to those who use Islam to advance their own personal agenda'.

Ali, one of the most famous Muslims in the world, issued a statement saying, 'True Muslims know that the ruthless violence of so called Islamic Jihadists goes against the very tenets of our religion.'

He added: 'I believe that our political leaders should use their position to bring understanding about the religion of Islam and clarify that these misguided murderers have perverted people's views on what Islam really is.'

London Mayor Boris Johnson said yesterday Mr Trump was unfit for office and has openly mocked the American, adding: 'The only reason I wouldn't go to some parts of New York is the real risk of meeting Donald Trump.'

Theresa May: 'The police in London are not afraid to go out and police the streets.'

Scotland Yard claimed the tycoon 'couldn't be more wrong' and offered him and other presidential hopefuls a security briefing on London.

But some police officers have backed his claims that some Muslim communities in the UK are no-go areas because of extremism.

One said Trump had 'pointed out something plainly obvious, something which I think we aren't as a nation willing to own up to'.

Another officer in West London told the Right-wing website Breitbart: 'Islamification has and is occurring. You have to have extra vigilance in certain parts.'

A Lancashire Police officer told MailOnline: 'There are Muslim areas of Preston that, if we wish to patrol, we have to contact local Muslim community leaders to get their permission.'

Another officer from Yorkshire said on the online forum Police.Community: 'I'm not allowed to travel in half-blues to work any more in my own car as we're 'all at risk of attack' – yet as soon as someone points out the obvious, it's 'divisive'.'

He added: 'In this instance, he [Trump] isn't wrong. Our political leaders are best either ill-informed or simply being disingenuous.'

A former Met officer who resigned this year said officers were told not to wear uniform to work for fear that they or their cars would be attacked. He added there had been instances of officers having the brake lines on their cars cut.

In 2014 Tom Winsor, Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Constabulary, caused a row when he claimed minority communities had turned their back on police.

He told The Times: 'There are some communities born under other skies who will not involve police at all.

'I am reluctant to name the communities in question but there are communities from other cultures who would prefer to police themselves.

'There are cities in the Midlands where the police never go because they are never called. They never hear of any trouble because the community deals with that on its own. They just have their own form of community justice'.

Mr Winsor said some forces get 'close to zero' calls in some areas.

He said: 'They don't know what injustices are being perpetrated. It's almost a closed book because we can't go there so don't know. It could be anything from low-level crime right up to murder are the most extreme example. That is murder. There is no honour in it.'

Upset: MPs on all sides have turned on Trump - but has told critics 'they don't know what you're getting into'

As the row over his remarks exploded in Britain, Scotland Yard took the unusual decision to issue public criticism of a foreign politician.

The UK politicians should be thanking me instead of pandering to political correctness. Government elites continue to be out of touch with the facts on the ground. Great leaders listen to and support law enforcement officials - they don't bury their head in the sand. Donald Trump on his British critics

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: 'We would not normally dignify such comments with a response, however on this occasion we think it's important to state to Londoners that Mr Trump could not be more wrong.

'Any candidate for the presidential election in the United States of America is welcome to receive a briefing from the Met Police on the reality of policing London.'

400,000 signed a petition calling for Mr Trump, whose property empire includes the Trump International Golf Links in Balmedie, Aberdeenshire, to be banned from the UK.

As MPs discussed the petition to ban Mr Trump from the UK, minister Chris Grayling labelled the US presidential hopeful's remarks about Muslims as 'nonsense' and 'unrelated to the real world'.

Mr Grayling said in the Commons today that the Petitions Committee would decide what is debated as he agreed with the criticism of Mr Trump.

Senior Labour MP Chris Bryant led the condemnation and joked Home Secretary Theresa May should dress in 'one of her Gloria Gaynor outfits' and tell 'nasty, mendacious bigot' Mr Trump 'just turn around now cos you're not welcome any more' should he arrive in the UK.

Fighting words: Trump (pictured last night) said on CNN 'I am the least racist person you have ever met'

Old friends, new foes: Muhammad Ali released a statement attacking Donald Trump and his proposal to ban Muslims from entering the United States (pictured together above in 2007)

Labour's Walsall North MP David Winnick told Mr Grayling: 'There ought to be debate on that deeply bigoted man Trump. Would it not be useful in that debate to make two particular points?

'One, in this country we have legislation against racial incitement, a very effective form of law which I certainly hope will remain.

'And secondly, most importantly in many respects, we have effective gun controls which wouldn't do any harm if they existed in the United States.'

Mr Grayling agreed with Mr Winnick, adding: 'My only concern is that I don't think we should give the oxygen of publicity to these remarks because it helps him rather than hinders him.

'They're unacceptable, they're unrelated in my view to the real world, we have a Muslim community in this country who deplore what is happening internationally and who play a really important role in our society and economy, and we should value them for what they do.'

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon yesterday stripped the businessman of his role as a Scottish 'business ambassador'. He had been appointed as a Global Scot in 2006 but the Scottish Government said Mr Trump's 'recent remarks have shown he is no longer fit to be a business ambassador for Scotland'.

Meanwhile, the tycoon has also been stripped of an honorary business degree awarded to him in 2010 by Robert Gordon University (RGU) in Aberdeen.

Labour MP Tulip Siddiq described Mr Trump as a 'hate preacher' whose views were 'dangerous at a time when communities are feeling vulnerable'.

Downing Street condemned his comments as 'divisive and wrong'. George Osborne said Mr Trump's views were 'nonsense', but rebuffed calls to ban him from the country.

Boris Johnson said the property tycoon was 'playing the game of the terrorists and those who seek to divide us'. The London Mayor added: 'He is betraying a quite stupefying ignorance that makes him frankly unfit to hold the office of the president of the United States.'

Support: Met Police officers and colleagues from other forces today backed Donald Trump over his policing comments despite Scotland Yard saying the tycoon 'could not be more wrong' (file picture - these officers are not the ones who spoke out )

Home Secretary Theresa May rejected Mr Trump's claims while in the Commons George Osborne rejected the call to ban Mr Trump, who said they should be thanking him

TRUMP HITS BACK AT BRITAIN: TYCOON SAYS 'MPS SHOULD THANK ME' Controversial: Mr Trump was branded a 'hate preacher' last night and faced calls to be banned from Britain over his comments, including calling for an American immigration ban for Muslims Donald Trump has reacted after 400,000 signed a petition calling for him to be banned by Britain - and being stripped of several titles in Scotland. Here is his statement in full: 'I have done so much for Scotland, including building Trump International Golf Links, Aberdeen, which has received the highest accolades, and is what many believe to be one of the greatest golf courses anywhere in the world. Additionally, I have made a significant investment in the redevelopment of the iconic Turnberry Resort, which will have massive ballrooms, complete room refurbishments, a new golf course and a total rebuilding of the world famous Ailsa course to the highest standards and specifications of the Royal & Ancient. If they were going to do this, they should have informed me prior to my major investment in this £200 million development, which will totally revitalise that vast region of Scotland. 'The UK politicians should be thanking me instead of pandering to political correctness. In fact, in an article out today, many police officers in London have come forward to confirm their fears of terrorism. I only said what needed to be said, and when I am elected no one will be tougher or smarter than me. I will work very hard and effectively to defeat terrorism. 'I have respect for the Muslim people and have great friendships with many Muslims, some of whom I do business with --- but they themselves admit there is a major problem with radicalisation. As President, I will work with Muslim representatives to determine a solution to eradicate the terrorism that has plagued the credibility of the Muslim community. 'Furthermore, as the definitive front runner (with large leads in every poll) in the race to become the Republican nominee for President of the United States, and as the person leading in the polls head to head versus Hillary Clinton, my focus is to Make America Great Again!' Advertisement

Muslim Labour MP apologises after saying 'f****** p**i b****' on live radio in impassioned speech on why Trump should be banned from Britain

A Muslim Labour MP was forced to apologise today after she said 'f***** p**i b****' as she tried to explain why Donald Trump should be banned from Britain.

Yasmin Qureshi was warned about her language after she repeated a racial slur on national radio when she spoke of the vile abuse she had faced in the past.

Ms Qureshi told 5Live Breakfast listeners that the billionaire tycoon was inciting hatred towards British people.

Apology: Bolton MP Yasmin Qureshi wants Donald Trump banned from Britain and said 'f****** p**i b***h' on national radio during a passionate speech about abuse she suffered

She said: 'He needs to know that what he is saying is unacceptable — this is not a discussion of ideas, what we are addressing is offensiveness.

'It's like me walking along the street and someone calls me a f****** p**i b**** or something like that - I have been called that by the way'.

She was interrupted by presenter Rachel Burden who apologised to listeners who said it was unacceptable, although added so was the abuse the MP had suffered in the past.

She said: 'Clearly we have to be careful at this time of them morning with the kind of language we are using'.

Ms Qureshi then replied: 'I'm sorry, I am just saying that is what I have been called, my apologies. Freedom of speech is great but it has to be limited to the right circumstances.

Ms Qureshi said some of the abuse does happen in Bolton.

She said: 'It is not a common occurrence, but it has happened occasionally out on the street, but it is much worse on the internet where I regularly am targeted with horrible abuse.'