Nigel Farage has hailed Brexit as 'the greatest moment in the modern history of our great nation' as his 25-year mission to take Britain out of the EU was finally realised.

The arch-Brexiteer whipped up jubilant crowds in Parliament Square on Friday night moments before the historic divorce from the bloc, drawing a line under 47 years of membership.

In a rabble-rousing speech to his army of Leave supporters, he said: 'This is something that I fought for - for 27 years and something that many thousands of you gave your time and money for.

'We faced an established that didn't even want to listen to us. An establishment that never wanted that referendum to take place.

Nigel Farage has hailed Brexit as 'the greatest moment in the modern history of our great nation' as his 25-year mission to take Britain out of the EU was finally realised

Jubilant Brexiteers heralded the moment with celebrations across the country, including a flagship bash in London's Parliament Square

'An establishment that tried for three and a half years to frustrate the will of the greatest democratic mandate ever seen.'

He added: 'The people have beaten the establishment. The real winner tonight is democracy.

'Let us celebrate tonight as we have never done before. This is the greatest moment in the modern history of our great nation.'

Mr Farage has championed the Eurosceptic movement since the 1990s, when he packed up his businesses career to campaign full-time.

As the charismatic leader of UKIP, he helped drag Eurosceptism from the fringes of British politics into the mainstream.

He became a Member of the European Parliament in 1999 and would use his platform to pour scorn on the project and berate Brussels chiefs - memorably branding the President of the European Council Herman Van Rompey a 'damp rag'.

The arch-Brexiteer whipped up jubilant crowds in Parliament Square on Friday night moments before the historic divorce from the bloc, drawing a line under 47 years of membership

In a rabble-rousing speech to his army of Leave supporters, he said: 'This is something that I fought for - for 27 years and something that many thousands of you gave your time and money for

Last year, he founded the Brexit Party, which romped to victory in the May 2019 European ballot but flopped at the general election in December after Boris Johnson hoovered up the majority of Leave votes.

After the UK left the EU on Friday night, Mr Farage ceased to be an MEP and will step down from front line politics, but has vowed to hold the PM's feet to the fire if he moves to extend the transition period.

At 11pm, bongs from Big Ben were played out through speakers before Brexiteers belted out God Save The Queen.

The crowds had started arriving in Westminster hours earlier, defying the rain to be present.

A small group of people on bicycles, who were believed to be anti-Brexit protesters, were stopped by police from entering Parliament Square.

They had attempted to ride through to the rally, but Metropolitan Police officers formed a line to stop them from passing.

A police officer at the scene said the group quickly dispersed but officers were then called to the other side of the square as the same group tried again to enter the rally.