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Firebrand Labour MP Dennis Skinner has defended labelling an SNP MP a "piece of s**t" in the Commons.

Mr Skinner, who has served as MP for Bolsover for 48 years, told the Press Association that he wanted to put the SNP "in their place" after Jeremy Corbyn was heckled from their benches during a debate on the Government's decision to pull the "meaningful vote" on the Prime Minister's Brexit deal.

The 86-year-old, who is widely known as "the Beast of Bolsover" for his uncompromising style, mouthed the insult at Glasgow South MP Stewart McDonald during the debate.

Mr Skinner, speaking afterwards, said: "He attacks Jeremy Corbyn every time he stands up and I've told him before he is part of the opposition and he should concentrate on attacking the real enemy. I just put them in their place."

Mr McDonald branded the Labour veteran a "thug" after the incident.

He tweeted: "A new parliamentary habit seems to be forming, whereby any time an SNP MP sat behind Dennis Skinner verbalises any frustration about what Jeremy Corbyn says, he angrily turns round to tell us off.

"He has just turned round and called me a 'piece of shit'. He has become a thug."

The SNP MP escalated the matter further by raising a point of order with Speaker John Bercow in the Commons.

Referencing the Press Association story, he said: "During proceedings earlier the Leader of the Opposition was opening his emergency debate when he had taken an intervention from a member of the Democratic Unionist Party, during the response from the Leader of the Opposition I said to my colleague (Marion Fellows) that I wished the Leader of the Opposition would answer a question.

"It then promoted (Dennis Skinner) to turn around to me and call me a piece of s**t, Mr Speaker he then went on to defend that, telling a journalist that he was 'just putting me in my place'.

"As you know Mr Speaker I've no desire to raise this formally with you, I had hoped to deal with it informally as you suggested Mr Speaker, but given he shows no sign of having any regret about it can you just reaffirm that it's wrong and can you reaffirm that members on all sides should be able to go about this place without being on the tail end of that kind of abuse."

Mr Bercow responded saying he "wasn't there" and "wouldn't presume to comment on a conversation I did not hear".