Nigel Farage has had a drink thrown over him after launching his campaign for the general election.
A young woman approached the new Reform UK leader on the steps of a pub in Clacton before hurling what appeared to be a milkshake over him.
Dozens of people watched in horror as the milkshake was thrown onto him by the women in the grey jumper.
She then smiled and casually walked away as Mr Farage headed towards his campaign bus. It is not the first time Mr Farage has been hit with milkshakes by critics.
Do you know the woman who threw the drink? Email jabed.ahmed@independent.co.uk
Richard Tice, Mr Farage’s predecessor as Reform UK leader, expressed his anger at the incident, adding: “The juvenile moron who threw a drink over Nigel has just gained us hundreds of thousands more votes.
“We will not be bullied or threatened off the campaign trail.”
A member of staff at the Wetherspoons where the incident occurred suggested the thrower could have been lying in wait for the politician to arrive for an hour.
The Moon & Starfish worker, who wished to remain anonymous, told The Independent three police officers had just come into the pub looking for the mystery woman who threw what is believed to be a banana flavoured milkshake.
He said: “She was sat outside by one of the pillars for about an hour beforehand.”
When asked if he was implying that the throw was premeditated, the Wetherspoons staff member replied: “I believe so.”
While he wasn’t close to the Reform UK leader at the time, from afar, he said: “I saw liquid fly through the air and hit a few customers.”
Mr Farage had kicked off his general election campaign in the seaside town earlier on Tuesday, as he promised to be a “bloody nuisance” in Westminster.
He set out his goal for Reform UK to effectively take over the Conservative Party – and potentially put him in No 10 in future. On Tuesday he told ITV’s Good Morning Britain his goal was to take the Conservative Party over, rather than join it.
Shouts from the crowd included “get ‘em Nige” and “we love you Nigel”. He told those gathered: “Send me to Parliament to be a bloody nuisance.”
But Mr Farage did not have to go to Westminster to stir up chaos, as his supporters clashed with protestors over a sign that said: “Farage not welcome in Clacton”.
Reform UK have zeroed in on high immigration and Brexit as key issue on which to challenge the Conservative Party.
Speaking earlier at the rally, Mr Farage said: “We made an offer to the British people, we could get back our independence and control of our borders.
“But what has happened? The Conservatives have betrayed that trust. They’ve opened up the borders to mass immigration like we’ve never seen before.
“And they deserve to pay a price for that, a big price for that.”
In 2019, the former Brexit Party leader had milkshake thrown at him during a campaign walkabout in Newcastle.
The milkshake in question was believed to be a Five Guys banana and salted caramel milkshake.
Paul Crowther, 32, from Throckley, Newcastle, was arrested on suspicion of common assault following the hurling.
Mr Crowther told the BBC at the time: “I didn’t know he [Mr Farage] was in town, I thought this is my only chance.
“It’s a right of protest against people like him.
“The bile and the racism he spouts out in this country is far more damaging than a bit of milkshake to his front.”
More follows on this breaking news story….