Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has been offered additional private security by the UK Home Office after a milkshake and other objects have been thrown at him during campaigning for the British general election.

A cup and another object were thrown at Mr Farage while he was on top of a party battle bus in Barnsley, South Yorkshire, on Tuesday.

This followed an incident last week in which a milkshake was thrown over the 60-year-old as he left the Moon and Starfish Wetherspoons pub in Clacton-on-Sea in Essex.

Two people have been charged over the incidents.

It is understood that the Home Office has been in touch with the Reform UK leader to offer additional private security.

Police chiefs say it is difficult to work out the intentions of people in crowds when would-be MPs are out campaigning, but that the candidates may not want to be put in a bubble as they try to speak to the public.

The number of intelligence and crime reports received by police relating to MPs has dropped sharply in recent months, but force chiefs insist candidates have confidence in officers to protect them.

In January and February around 260 intelligence reports and 60 or 70 crime reports were received by police in relation to Operation Bridger, which focuses on the security of elected representatives.

But this fell to tens of intelligence reports and “small numbers” of reported crimes in the past two months.