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Sun columnist Kelvin MacKenzie faced anger tonight over reports he said " Jeremy Corbyn knifed to death by asylum seeker” would be his ideal newspaper headline.

He said it was "the fake news headline that would give this country the most joy," according to the New York Times.

Reporter Katrin Bennhold interviewed the controversial columnist for a feature on how British newspapers cover Brexit .

According to her, when she asked what headline he would like to see if he was still in charge of the newspaper, he "cheerfully" replied: "I think the fake news headline that would give this country the most joy would be ‘ Jeremy Corbyn Knifed to Death by an Asylum Seeker.’”

The comments came just months after Labour MP Jo Cox was shot and stabbed to death by neo-Nazi Thomas Mair.

According to the New York Times, Mr MacKenzie later texted the reporter to say: "Can you change that perfect headline from ‘ Jeremy Corbyn knifed to death by asylum seeker’ to ‘Jeremy Corbyn Defrauded by Asylum Seeker.’

"In the light of Jo Cox murder mine is in tol poor taste."

(Image: REUTERS)

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A source close to the Labour leader said tonight: "Kelvin MacKenzie's disgusting language incites violence and hatred and makes him unfit to work for any media outlet.

"This sort of disgusting language should not be tolerated by anyone in the media, politics or any walk of life.

"We saw last year how over heated language in politics led to the murder of Jo Cox.

"Kelvin Mackenzie could find himself reported to the police for inciting hatred and violence against the leader of the opposition."

Mr MacKenzie was suspended from The Sun last month after comparing Everton star Ross Barkley to a gorilla in his column.

A News UK spokesman said his views on the people of Liverpool - where the newspaper is boycotted for its Hillsborough coverage while Mr MacKenzie was editor - "were wrong, unfunny and are not the view of the paper.”

(Image: PA)

Mr MacKenzie was branded a “p***k” and a “w****r” on Twitter tonight where social media users said his comments were “staggering”.

He was also branded an “evil s***”, a “24/7 pantomime antichrist” and “pure scum”.

Hillsborough campaigner Margaret Aspinall said Mr MacKenzie should be sacked.

Asked about the comments she said: "Oh my god. He's not a human being this man, and then he comes out with things like that?

"I really don't know what I can say to it. Nothing surprises me what comes out of that man's mouth. Nothing.

"I don't understand why he's not been sacked and why he's still on TV and things like that. He's a despicable man anyway so that does not surprise me when he comes out with awful things like that, but something should be done about this man now.

"He's got to learn to keep his mouth shut."