The BBC was last night accused by a prominent Labour supporter of picking 'the most Left-wing' election debate audience ever.

Senior Tories reacted furiously after the supposedly 'balanced' group jeered criticism of Jeremy Corbyn on the programme.

Even BBC presenter Mishal Husain was heckled when she pointed out that he had been unable to set out the cost of his flagship child care policy the previous day. The Labour leader was repeatedly cheered despite a meandering performance in which he was accused of treating taxpayers' cash like 'Monopoly money'.

George Eaton, political editor of the Labour-supporting New Statesman magazine, said: 'This feels like the most Left-wing audience in any TV debate.'

A senior Conservative source attacked the BBC saying it was 'quite astonishing just how badly they picked the audience'.

And Boris Johnson said today: 'It was seven people speaking to probably the most left-wing studio audience the BBC has ever brought together'.

Senior Tories reacted furiously after the supposedly 'balanced' group jeered criticism of Jeremy Corbyn on the programme

Reaction: Journalist George Eaton said it felt like a left-wing audience and many viewers accused the BBC of bias and pledged to complain to watchdog Ofcom

Former work and pensions secretary Iain Duncan Smith said: 'Obviously there are questions for the BBC to answer … It's quite clear there was an anti-Tory bias in the audience, which wasn't there in the Channel 4 programme on Monday.'

As the show went out, readers contacted the Daily Mail to express their objections.

The Labour leader was cheered loudly after discussing his policy to scrap tuition fees

Tory grandee Sir Nicholas Soames said the reaction of the audience vindicated Theresa May's decision to delegate the debate to Home Secretary Amber Rudd.

He said the Prime Minister was 'absolutely right not to attend debate with typically rigged audience by BBC'.

Even some Labour supporters and independent commentators voiced concern about the make-up of the audience.

Robert Peston, political editor of ITV News said it was 'odd that this 'balanced' BBC audience is clearly much keener on immigration than much of UK'. The row came as:

÷Mr Corbyn was accused of 'fantasy economics' over plans to hit wealthier families with a wealth tax and inheritance tax raid;

÷The Labour leader refused to rule out a 'coalition of chaos' deal with the SNP;

÷Mrs May prepared to warn voters they have just seven days to ensure the 'promise of Brexit' is not squandered by Mr Corbyn;

÷Senior Labour figures suggested they intended to rip up trade union laws with a plan to bring back flying pickets;

÷The pound fell after a shock analysis found Mrs May could be on course for a hung parliament.

Even BBC presenter Mishal Husain was heckled when she pointed out that he had been unable to set out the cost of his flagship child care policy the previous day

Mr Corbyn's mention of a foodbank also produced clapping and cheers from the audience

The row over the BBC audience overshadowed the debate in which Labour, the Lib Dems, the SNP and the Green Party repeatedly teamed up against Amber Rudd, who was standing in for Theresa May.

Presenter Miss Husain stated at the beginning of the programme that the audience had been selected to be 'representative of the country as a whole'.

At one stage, when Miss Rudd, urged the audience to 'look at our record', she was met with mocking laughter.

When the Home Secretary defended the Government's record on creating jobs, Green Party leader Caroline Lucas said: 'That doesn't pay nurses who need to go to foodbanks.' The audience erupted into applause.

Mr Corbyn's mention of a foodbank also produced clapping and cheers from the audience. 'Have you been to a foodbank, have you seen people sleeping rough around the station?' he said after mentioning Miss Rudd. The Labour leader was also cheered loudly after discussing his policy to scrap tuition fees.

SNP deputy leader Angus Robertson prompted applause for saying the debate on immigration 'shames us all' adding that everyone understands immigrants make a positive contribution to the country.

Miss Lucas was clapped when she said that migration should not be blamed for strained public sector services. Mr Corbyn decided to attend the debate yesterday to turn up the heat on Mrs May, having previously ruled out taking part. But the last-minute U-turn appeared to have backfired as he faced tough questions over the economy, immigration and security.

The debate was held in Cambridge, one of the most pro-Remain parts of the country.

The BBC insisted the audience had been scrupulously vetted.

In a statement, the corporation said: 'The BBC commissioned polling company ComRes to recruit an audience that is representative of the country demographically and politically. They have lots of experience doing this. This covered age; gender; ethnicity; socio-economic; party politics; how they voted in EU referendum; and some undecided.'

The debate was held in Cambridge, one of the most pro-Remain parts of the country

But critics were unimpressed. Philip Davies, Tory candidate for Shipley, said: 'You only have to watch Question Time to realise that the BBC's idea of an impartial audience is 80 per cent Labour supporters.

'This is what we have come to expect from political BBC programmes.'

Andrew Bridgen, Conservative candidate for North-West Leicestershire, said: 'Who would be surprised by another handpicked left-wing audience? Jeremy Corbyn won't be short of votes in the BBC but he should be short of votes in the ballot boxes. I'm not surprised in the slightest.'

Ukip leader Paul Nuttall, who was repeatedly heckled, wrote on Twitter: 'Enjoyed tonight's debate particularly having the chance to speak to [hard-Left group] Momentum … sorry I meant the audience.'

Former Ukip leader Nigel Farage said: 'This is deja vu. In 2015 I called out the BBC audience for being hard-Left-wing. It's even worse this time.'