China's ambassador to the UK accused Britain of interfering over Hong Kong with a "colonial mindset" in a move that threatened to spark a major diplomatic crisis.

Liu Xiaoming was summoned to the Foreign office after his comments amid a spiraling war of words over the handling of protests in the former British colony.

On Tuesday Jeremy Hunt warned China of “serious consequences” if it sought to use the disorder as a pretext for a mass crackdown on the protest movement.

In a press conference called on Wednesday, Mr Liu said that Britain should “seriously reflect on the consequences of its words and deeds with regard to Hong Kong”.

"I tell them: hands off Hong Kong and show respect. This colonial mindset is still haunting the minds of some officials or politicians," he said.