Nigel Farage yesterday accused anti-Ukip protesters of chasing his terrified family out of a country pub – and branded them ‘scum’.

He said his two daughters ran away in fear after being targeted by an 80-strong fancy dress ‘mob’ who described themselves as ‘migrants, HIV activists, gay people, disabled people and breastfeeding mums’.

The bizarre protest featured several women and men clutching dolls to their chests in an apparent reference to the Ukip leader’s comments that nursing mothers should ‘sit in the corner’.

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Nigel Farage has branded anti-Ukip protesters 'scum' after they stormed a pub where he was having a family lunch and 'chased his car down the road'

The party leader was dining with his wife and two younger children at the Queen's Head in Downe, Kent, when the incident took place. He claimed his two youngest children were so scared by the protesters that they ran away and hid

Mr Farage said his daughters, Victoria, 15, and ten-year-old Isabelle were missing for a short time yesterday afternoon before the police returned them to the family home.

After hounding him out of the Queen’s Head in Downe, Kent, protesters surrounded his car, kicking it and jumping on his bonnet as his wife, Kirsten, tried to drive him away.

The Ukip leader later told the Mail: ‘We were having a pleasant Sunday and then suddenly the mob descended. There was various screaming, shouting and intimidation.

‘My children ran away and hid. The landlord called the police who came quickly and later brought them back to my home. They also attacked my car as my wife drove me off.’

He added: ‘I’m used to this – it happens every day. But I am utterly appalled by these disgusting people for bringing my family into it. It was an unpleasant ordeal for them.These people are scum.’

The protest’s organisers denied Mr Farage’s children were scared and ran away.

Pictures posted on Twitter as Mrs Farage tried to drive off showed a woman lying on the car bonnet as others banged the roof and windows. Neighbour Sheila Jenkins, 76, said she heard ‘chanting’ outside her house and looked out of the window to see demonstrators in fancy dress.

Demonstrators had previously descended on the George & Dragon, where Mr Farage has previously been pictured having a drink, before realising he was in the other pub nearby

The group was in fancy dress and included migrants, HIV activists, gay people, disabled people and breastfeeding mothers

She said: ‘There were lots of them and I saw a big placard saying “Ukip not in my backyard”. There was a man dressed as an Arab, with big dark glasses and a turban, and one with a big beard in a blonde lady’s wig. I don’t know what they were trying to prove.’

Another neighbour, who asked not to be named, said he stepped out to see what the commotion was.

‘They were singing “We are family” and then I saw someone trying to stop a car getting through,’ he said.

‘Someone kicked the back of the car as it went past. I think they went a bit too far.’

Photos taken in the pub showed demonstrators apparently holding a ‘Muslim call to prayer’ and organising ‘Polish language lessons’.

Protester Chris Baugh, assistant general secretary of the Public and Commercial Services Union, boasted on Twitter: ‘I just chased Farage from his local, few others with us & very funny. Solidarity.’

Customer James Beer, owner of a web design company, tweeted: ‘Just saw Nigel Farage being hounded out of a pub I was in by fancy dressed protesters harassing him and kicking his car in. Priceless.’

Staff at the Queen's Head refused to comment on the episode, while the George & Dragon said protesters had initially claimed they were there for a birthday party

The party leader was dining with his wife and two younger children at the Queen's Head in Downe, Kent, when the incident took place. He is pictured at the pub last June

But many were shocked, even those who oppose Ukip. Kevin Maguire, a left-wing columnist, tweeted: ‘No fan of Ukip and also no fan of hounding people out of pubs, frightening kids and jumping on cars.’

Dan Glass, another of the protest leaders, denied Mr Farage’s children had been scared off, saying: ‘He was sitting on his own and left on his own. We didn’t see any kids.’

The organisers later released a statement attributed to ‘photographer’ Mike Kear.

It said: ‘As some protesters and the press entered the rear of the pub, I saw a blonde haired woman leaving with two children. At no time were any children seen to be scared or running away. Could this be that Farage is manipulating the truth for his own ends?’