Owen Jones says he was 'surrounded' by angry crowd at Brexit Party rally and 'begged' by security to leave over safety fears

As the EU elections near, political tensions in the UK have risen yet again.

After a week of debating the appropriateness of throwing milkshakes at politicians, all the signs point to a victory for Nigel Farage’s Brexit Party in Thursday’s EU parliamentary elections.

Given the popularity of the new party, Guardian columnist Owen Jones visited a campaign rally in Kensington to report on the event. With a video team in tow, he wanted to speak to attendees about their views.

Though, worryingly, Jones claims that some members of the crowd were hostile towards him.

He said he was surrounded by a crowd of angry Brexit rally attendees and then asked to leave by security for fears for their safety.

Other photographs on Twitter appear to suggest Jones was mobbed by crowds.

Witnesses claim crowds were calling Jones “fake news” - the catchphrase used often by president Trump to attack the media.

People on social media responded strongly to the tweets, saying that a journalist fearing for their safety is a grim sign of the times. Others doubted Jones's allegations, but he says the video will be released later in the week.

Meanwhile, Farage's Brexit Party looks likely to win the EU elections on Thursday, with Labour looking set to finish in second or third place.

More: Owen Jones says five audience members on Question Time were Conservative activists​