Key figures from Nigel Farage’s Brexit Party in its number one general election target seat were caught on film making a string of racist comments.

One of the party’s councillors in Hartlepool said Muslims are “outbreeding us” and “live like animals”, boasting he once tried to bury a pig’s head under a mosque being built in the town.

David Mincher also made racist language against Pakistanis and Asians, saying: “Nearly all of Middlesbrough is P***s. Boro’s f***ing rife with all the f***ing Asians now like.”

Channel 4 exposed how he bragged of his violent attacks and of being repeatedly banned from football matches – claiming the Brexit Party knew of his past, but were “fine” with it “as long as I haven’t been to jail”.

It also filmed Gordon Parkin, who claimed to be the party’s assistant manager for the North East region, making a series of derogatory remarks against Muslims inside the Hartlepool campaign office.

He said: “Look at certain other countries, who will not accept Muslims...they don’t need a quarter of the prisons that we need.

“They don’t need a quarter of the policeman that we need. They don’t need a quarter of the health services we need.”

He added: “They’re outbreeding us. And they will tell you themselves. I’ve heard them say it….‘oh we’ll outbreed you in X number of years, so you’ve lost already’. And we have.”

Mr Parkin also appeared to laugh after saying black people and immigrants are discriminated against,” Channel 4 said.

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The Brexit Party condemned the “grave and appalling comments”, saying it had removed the whip from Mr Mincher and dismissed Mr Parkin.

Richard Tice, its chairman, said: “Both I and the Brexit Party totally condemn the hideous remarks in question in the strongest possible terms.

“I would take the gravest exception to any attempt by Channel 4 to suggest that I or the Brexit Party in any way share, condone or was aware of these views and matters.”

The revelations are damaging for Mr Farage, because Hartlepool – where almost 70 per cent of residents voted Leave – is its number one target seat to snatch from Labour. Mr Tice himself is the candidate.

The party’s leader has insisted his new party is “very different” to Ukip and “has no place for racist and offensive views

“I don’t think that Middle England, decent people, want to vote for a political party that is linked to extremism, violence, criminal records, and thuggery. That’s why I left Ukip,” he said recently.

And, last week, he told the BBC’s Andrew Neil: “Any attempt that gets made to try and paint the Brexit Party into being a right-wing political party that would harbour anybody with extreme views is completely and utterly wrong.”

Mr Mincher told Channel 4 he made up the story about burying a pig’s head “as a stupid act of showing off to your reporter”, who had filmed him undercover, and had resigned as a councillor.