Now police investigate Farage... for saying ‘take knife to waste’

NIGEL FARAGE has been investigated by police for saying he will ‘take the knife’ to civil servants after Brexit.

Gwent Police have received dozens of complaints since the Brexit Party leader made the comments at a rally in Newport last week.

Welsh politicians took to Twitter to denounce Mr Farage’s speech.

The police investigation comes amid an escalating row over the language used in the ongoing Brexit debate, with some politicians even objecting to Boris Johnson using the term ‘surrender’.

Mr Farage told his audience: ‘When the president of the port of Calais and the boss of the port of Dover tell you they’re 100 per cent ready for Brexit in whatever form it comes, I suggest we listen to them and not the overpaid penpushers in Whitehall who are not doing a neutral job.

‘And once Brexit’s done, we’ll take the knife to them. All right? Had enough of all of it. Had enough of all of it.’ He subsequently clarified: ‘I should have said “take the axe”, which is a more traditional term for cuts.’

Elsewhere i n his speech Mr Farage, boasted of putting ‘fear in the hearts of the MPs in Wales’.

He also described Commons Speaker John Bercow as a ‘ghastly little man’ and the Prime Minister of Luxembourg, Xavier Bettel, as a ‘perfectly vile little pipsqueak’.

Welsh politician and Alliance Party leader Naomi Long MEP encouraged the Metropolitan Police to look into the ‘knife’ comments.

She wrote on Twitter: ‘@metpoliceuk Can you confirm that you intend to investigate this clear case of incitement to violence against staff in the Civil Service?’

Last night Gwent Police told The Mail on Sunday they had concluded Mr Farage had not committed an offence after officers had conducted a ‘thorough assessment’ of the language he used.

Assistant Chief Constable Rhiannon Kirk said: ‘We are aware of the heightened tensions that exist regarding use of language, and take all allegations and concerns from members of the public very seriously.

‘However, following a thorough assessment, it is our view that the comments in the video do not constitute a criminal offence. As such, Gwent Police will not be taking any further action.’

On Wednesday, Mr Johnson faced criticism i n the Commons for telling an MP that her concerns about aggressive language fuelling violence were ‘humbug’. Former Home Secretary Amber Rudd has said the language the Prime Minister uses ‘does incite violence’ while Labour MP Jess Phill i ps has accused him of ‘stoking hate’.

More than 100 Church of England bishops have spoken out about combative exchanges in Parliament.