Nigel Farage has slammed "violent left-wing protesters" as he campaigned for a US political candidate who once said "homosexual conduct" should be illegal.

The former UKIP leader joined ex-White House strategist Steve Bannon to address crowds in Alabama in support of Roy Moore, a controversial gay marriage opponent.

He railed against the "liberal media" as he hit out at "violent left-wing protesters" during his pledge of support for Mr Moore, who is hoping to become the Republican candidate in the special election for the Senate seat vacated by attorney general Jeff Sessions.

Mr Farage said: "There are others on the left who are turning increasingly away from democratic process and towards violent, unpleasant, nasty protest.

Image: Mr Farage said some on the left wanted to 're-write history'

"We see some on the left who now even want to rewrite history, tear down statues and pretend we are different people to who we are."


Mr Farage told the crowds: "I have absolutely no hesitation in putting my support and my backing behind a man like judge Roy Moore, who has shown in his career that he will always put principle before his own career advancement."

US President Donald Trump was widely criticised after he blamed "many sides" for violence at a far-right rally protesting against the removal of a statue of Confederate leader Robert E Lee.

Heather Heyer, 32, was killed when a car was driven into anti-fascist protesters in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Mr Trump took two days to criticise hate groups such as the Ku Klux Klan by name for the violence.

Image: Mr Moore was twice removed from his role as Alabama's chief justice

Mr Farage, a long-term ally of the President, has broken with Mr Trump in supporting Mr Moore.

Both Mr Trump and Vice President Mike Pence have campaigned for the incumbent Luther Strange.

Mr Moore said in a debate last week that America's core had been shaken while "abortion, sodomy, sexual perversion sweep our land".

In a speech claiming only God could unify the country, he used the historic slurs of "reds and yellows", the former an outdated term for Native Americans and the latter a derogatory term for Asian immigrants from the 19th century.

Mr Moore said in a 2005 interview that "homosexual conduct" should be illegal.

The former judge was twice removed from his role as Alabama's chief justice by an ethics panel - first for defying an order to remove a monument to the Ten Commandments from a judicial building and then for allegedly urging colleagues to not grant marriage licences to homosexual couples.