MEP holds up 'he's lying to you' sign as Nigel Farage speaks in European Parliament

Some praise sign as the 'best political heckle ever' but UKIP MEP Bill Etheridge says it was 'pathetic and cowardly'

A Labour politician held up a sign that said "HE'S LYING TO YOU" as Nigel Farage spoke in support of Donald Trump's travel ban in the European Parliament.

A man in a white bow tie appeared to scold London MEP Seb Dance and tell him to put the handwritten sign down, but Mr Dance proudly owned up to the stunt.

Parliament had met to debate US travel and migration policy, after the US President banned people from seven Muslim-majority countries from entering America.

Mr Farage, who is a vocal supporter of Mr Trump, took to the floor to praise the President, as Mr Dance raised the placard behind him.

The South East England MEP, and former UKIP leader, told the EU parliament: "Perhaps what we need to do is to be a little bit more constructive. All of us here say we are democrats. Well, here’s a chance to prove it: Let us invite President Trump to come here to this European Parliament."

He then appeared to insult other MEPs, saying: "I’m sure as democrats you would all agree that we need to have an open dialogue with the newly elected most powerful man in the world. If you throw that rejection back in my face, then you prove yourselves to be the anti-democratic zealots that I always thought you were.”

Members of the public took to social media to praise the sign, which was shown in the UK in a live BBC broadcast, calling it "the best political heckle ever".

But fellow Ukip MEP Bill Etheridge, who was also sitting in the chamber and watched it unfold, hit out at EU officials for letting it happen and called the behaviour “disgusting”.

He has sent a complaint letter to EU officials about the incident and tweeted: “Disgusting behaviour by labour Mep Holding defamatory sign up behind Nigel Farage as he spoke today. Pathetic and cowardly.”

He added: “If the British Labour Party want to start making signs to display while people are talking I've got a few for them let's start with sell out.”

Mr Farage joined Mr Trump on the campaign trail before the US election in November, and the President has previously suggested his crony become Britain's ambassador to the United States.

But Mr Trump's policies are unpopular in the EU parliament, with Development and Foreign Affairs MEPs issuing a statement saying the US administration’s ban on citizens from seven Muslim-majority states entering the country could “seriously undermine current global efforts towards a fair international sharing of responsibilities for refugees”.

The US decision “fuels anti-immigration and xenophobic discourses”, the statement said, and could “seriously undermine current global efforts towards a fair international sharing of responsibilities for refugees”.

Mr Farage is also thought to be unpopular in the European parliament, where he has frequently insulted other politicians.

He also has the second lowest attendance rate of all 746 MEPS, turning up for only 40.7 per cent of all possible votes between July 2014 and May 2016.

Despite appearing to do little work, he once boasted his EU salary and expenses were worth £250,000 a year.