Nigel Farage is being investigated by the broadcasting watchdog Ofcom over claims he made on his radio show that the city of Malmo, Sweden is "the rape capital of Europe".

The former Ukip leader used his week-night slot on LBC in February to speak about the refugee crisis and what he claimed had since been a "dramatic rise" in sexual crime in Sweden.

Farage, 52, went on to say: "Malmo is now the rape capital of Europe and, some argue, even the rape capital of perhaps the world."

Ofcom said the comments, which went unchallenged, had prompted nine complaints from listeners.

The broadcaster said in a statement on Monday (20 March): "We are investigating whether comments made in this programme were materially misleading."

Farage began hosting an hour-long phone-in slot on LBC in January.

The MEP's remarks came after US President Donald Trump had told his supporters at a rally in Florida of parts of Europe hit by terrorist attacks.

Trump had then said: "Look at what's happening last night in Sweden. Sweden, who would believe this?"

The comments led to the baffled former prime minister of Sweden, Carl Bildt, to ask "what has [Trump] been smoking?" after there had been no reports of an attack in the country.

Farage used his show the next day, on 20 February, to defend Trump, saying the President gives speeches "from the heart" without notes, and is unfairly condemned for "one or two" mistakes.

He said: "As so often is the case with Trump, in terms of direction of travel, what he was saying was very valid.

"There have been no specific terrorist attacks in Sweden, but pro-rata Sweden have taken more young male migrants than any other country in Europe and there has been a dramatic rise in sexual crime in Sweden, so much so that Malmo is now the rape capital of Europe and, some argue, even the rape capital of perhaps the world."

Ofcom says its investigations typically take 50 working days or less.