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A London MEP ridiculed Nigel Farage as he gave a speech to the EU Parliament live on TV by holding up a sign saying: “He’s lying to you”.

Seb Dance, who represents London in the European Parliament, held up the handwritten sign with an arrow pointing at the ex-Ukip leader.

The Londoner was promptly scolded by an EU official who made Mr Dance take down the sign.

But as the scene unfolded live on the BBC News channel, scores of people quickly took to Twitter to praise the daring MEP calling the sign “the best political heckle ever”.

Willie Elliot said “prize for seat 44 please” while Phil Verney said: “I have never loved the EU Parliament more right now.”

But fellow Ukip MEP Bill Etheridge, who was also sitting in the chamber and watched it unfold, hit out at EU officials for letting it happen and called the behaviour “disgusting”.

He has sent a complaint letter to EU officials about the incident and tweeted: “Disgusting behaviour by Labour MEP holding defamatory sign up behind Nigel Farage as he spoke today. Pathetic and cowardly.”

He added: “If the British Labour Party want to start making signs to display while people are talking I've got a few for them, let's start with sell out.”

The well-known Brexiteer and Trump supporter Mr Farage was visibly fired-up as he delivered a speech to the parliament on Wednesday afternoon during a debate on US border controls.

Wearing a Trump pin badge on his lapel, Mr Farage accused EU leaders of "anti-Americanism" as he defended the US president's controversial travel ban which sparked mass protests.

Mr Dance was seen on camera subsequently being talked to by a suited man.

Many Londoners - including Walthamstow MP Stella Creasy - praised Mr Dance, 35, who was elected to the EU Parliament in 2014.

Ms Creasy said: "Good on London MEP Seb Dance for calling out Nigel Farage for his use of 'alternative facts' - Trump not a model for British representation!"

Twitter user Jay said: "Look at this legend...no, not Nigel Farage. The man next to him holding up the hand made school sign at the European Parliament".

Others were less impressed at the trolling. Steve Mills said online it was a "cheap shot and school boy tactics".