The BBC's debate has turned into a shambles after an alleged anti-Semitic Imam and a Labour staffer were allowed to grill Tory leadership hopefuls live on air.

Abdullah Patel asked Boris Johnson if his remarks on Islam "had consequences", but the Imam's Twitter account revealed a number of controversial posts including claiming the abuse of Jews was being "abused by the Right" to further a political agenda.

Meanwhile, the man who asked the last question was Aman Thackar - a man hired by Labour HQ as a legal assistant in 2018 and who stood for election for Southwark council in the same year, according to Guido Fawkes.

Both have since been suspended from various roles - Mr Patel from his deputy headship at a school and as Imam at a mosque and Mr Thackar as a lawyer at Leigh Day.

Referring to the inclusion of the Imam, MP Nadine Dorries said the "fault was with the BBC" insisting the broadcaster "should have checked" before allowing Mr Patel to take part in the live debate.

She added: "Instead they used an Imam with a truly disturbing anti semitic twitter feed. It was a wholly biased, disgraceful 'get Boris' exercise. Why should anyone pay a licence fee for that level of attempted sabotage?"