Nigel Farage sharing £4million house with female French politician

Laure Ferrari, who is 15 years younger than the former UKIP leader, was photographed taking the bins out at the property in Chelsea

Nigel Farage, British Member of the European Parliament and former leader of the UK Independence Party (EPA)

Nigel Farage is sharing a £4million house with a female French politician.

Laure Ferrari, 37, is 15 years younger than the former UKIP leader and was photographed taking the bins out at the property in Chelsea.

Mr Farage confirmed Ms Ferrari was staying at his house but denied any suggestion of an affair, describing the idea as “crackers”.

Ms Ferrari is the head of the Institute for Direct Democracy in Europe (IDDE), a Eurosceptic think tank, which is accused of illegally diverting public money to UKIP.

The party is currently under investigation for apparently receiving a total of £400,000 in donations from the think tank and a political alliance ahead of the General Election and the Brexit referendum.

Mr Farage said he was helping Ms Ferrari out because she needed accommodation and has nowhere else to stay.

Laure Ferrari (Twitter)

“She is someone I have worked with and known well for a long time who wanted somewhere to stay for a week that wouldn’t cost her any money. It’s a working relationship,” he told The Mail on Sunday.

Ms Ferrari met Mr Farage a decade ago while working as a waitress in Strasbourg and he helped her get her first job at the European Parliament.

She was forced to move out of her flat after her think tank’s funding was stopped and has turned to Mr Farage for help.

“I have no trustworthy friends in London who could have hosted me. I asked and he accepted. He is just trying to be helpful,” she told The Mail on Sunday.

Last month Mr Farage said he spent most week nights at a “bachelor pad” but denied he had split from his wife.

There was no immediate response from Mr Farage for a request to comment from the Press Association.