Brexit supporter filmed burning EU flag as crowds celebrate in Parliament Square

An EU flag has been set on fire near Downing Street hours before Brexit as hundreds of people gathered in central London to celebrate the UK leaving Europe.

Other anti-Europe protesters were seen dancing round flags on the ground in Parliament Square. Chants of "bye bye EU, bye bye EU" were being chanted by a mass crowd of jubilant Brexiteers.

People were also seen dancing the hokey cokey around the EU flag, trampling into the mud as rain poured down on the Parliament Square rally.

Near Downing Street, one protester draped in a Union Flag attempted to torch the blue and yellow banner ahead of this evening's planned celebrations.

But he was almost thwarted because of EU Safety Standards, which mean the flag is made from a fire retardant material.

The man eventually resorted to using a blowtorch to blast the flag, which briefly caught alight before smouldering.

He was widely mocked on social media, with one Twitter user telling him to "instead use your own 100 per cent British polyester trousers."

The crowds were gathering ahead of Britain's exit from the EU on Friday night at 11pm GMT.