Ukip leader Nigel Farage claims the fact black people at a Catford petrol station took selfies with him shows his party is only considered racist by white middle class people.

Mr Farage told the Daily Mail: "I stopped this morning to get some newspapers in a petrol station in Catford. Everybody was black, getting petrol, buying newspapers.

"It's unbelievable, they all wanted selfies and pictures. And the only people who think Ukip are racist are white people, middle class white people.

"Come with me to a black part of south London, walk down the street, and you will find black people going: 'Hey man, good to see you‎'."

Mr Farage, who last year said he felt awkward because of the lack of English being spoken on a Southeastern train through Hither Green, went on to say that there was no evidence whatsoever to support claims his party is racist.

Ukip's election candidate for Lewisham East, the seat covering Catford, is Anne-Marie Waters, who earlier this month called for immigration from Islamic countries to stop and mosques to close down.