EU referendum: Nigel Farage pulls out of final debate before polls open, Channel 4 confirms

Ukip leader pulls out at the last minute citing 'family reasons'

Nigel Farage had to miss the final debate due to unspecified 'family reasons'

Ukip leader Nigel Farage has pulled out of the final debate before the EU referendum for "family reasons".

The leader of the unofficial Leave.EU campaign to get people to vote Leave on Thursday was due to appear on the final debate hosted by Jeremy Paxman on Channel 4 this evening less than 12 hours before the polls open.

A spokesman for Mr Farage told The Independent that the politician had been forced to drop out of the debate at the last minute for "family reasons" but did not elaborate further.

He said the party had offered their migration spokesman, Steven Woolfe, instead but were declined.

A spokesman for Channel 4 said Mr Farage had pulled out at around 2pm and the line up had been reshuffled.

Mr Farage has been accused of "blatant scaremongering" and "Nazi propaganda" during the campaign as his side - which is separate from the official Brexit campaign Vote Leave - remaining heavily focused on immigration.

Last week he was condemned for unveiling a new poster depicting a line of refugees with the caption "Breaking Point" with "the EU has failed us all" underneath within hours of pro-Remain MP Jo Cox being murdered in her Batley and Spen constituency.

Earlier today, he refused to apologise for the poster - as Ukip MEP Dianne James claimed he already had - saying he was sorry "for the timing...but I can't apologise for the truth".

Polling stations open in less than 12 hours with both sides still neck and neck.

The final debate will pit the likes of Remainers like former Shadow Business Secretary Chuka Umunna MP, Green MP for Brighton and Hove Caroline Lucas and celebrity chef Delia Smith against Leavers such as Daniel Hannan MEP, Conservative MP for North-East Somerset Jacob Rees-Mogg and former weather girl Ulrika Jonsson to win over the remaining undecided voters.