NIGEL Farage has accused the Archbishop of Canterbury of "confected outrage" over suggestions staying in the EU could leave the UK vulnerable to mass sex attacks by migrants.

The Most Rev Justin Welby told MPs the Ukip leader was giving "legitimisation to racism" for political ends by using events on New Year's Eve in Cologne to back the case for Brexit.

The Herald:

Earlier, Tim Farron, the Liberal Democrat leader, accused Mr Farage of “dog-whistle racism,” saying he and his Brexit colleagues were “fantastically dangerous” people, who wanted to divide society.

But the anti-EU MEP denied claims of racism and said the head of the Church of England appeared guilty of making ill-informed knee-jerk reactions to newspaper headlines.

"If ever I saw a case of confected outrage it is this," declared Mr Farage. "Clearly, the archbishop read a headline on a newspaper and not what it actually said.

"What I said was that what happened in Cologne on New Year's Eve and subsequent attacks were a real issue in Germany and in Sweden and could become an issue in this referendum. That is all."

The Herald:

Giving evidence to the Commons Home Affairs Committee, the archbishop said that in the past, comments like those by Mr Farage - who described the threat to British women of Cologne-style attacks as the "nuclear bomb" in the referendum campaign - had themselves led to violence.

"That is an inexcusable pandering to people's worries and prejudices," declared the archbishop.

"That is giving legitimisation to racism, which I've seen in parishes in which I've served, and has led to attacks on people in those parishes. We cannot legitimise that. What that is, is accentuating fear for political gain and that is absolutely inexcusable."

Lord Green of Deddington, chairman of Migration Watch UK, which campaigns for tighter immigration controls, told the committee Mr Farage's comments had been a "very mistaken thing to say".

"It risks generating suspicions that may not be there. If such incidents do take place, then we will have to react to them but I don't think we should in any way encourage that line of thinking," he said.

Mr Welby - who refused to be drawn on whether he was for Leave or Remain - said claims by the Out campaign that a vote to stay could result in large numbers of Turkish immigrants coming to Europe were leading to a "very high level of prejudice" against Muslims in the UK.

"Once you ask a number of questions, you realise it's just fear and there is no evidence of any kind backing up what they are saying, but somehow it all feels very threatening and that results in a high level of prejudice against Muslims, and particularly observant Muslims," he said.

The archbishop reiterated his view that many people had genuine concerns about the impact of mass migration without being racist.

He said it was up to the UK Government to ensure that the communities affected had the resources they needed to cope - particularly in terms of health, housing and education.

Earlier at a Lib Dem In rally in central London, Mr Farron told activists: “What we are seeing in the referendum and what might be the best card, the most effective card, that Gove, Farage et al are playing is one which is basically dog-whistle racism. It’s not so much a dog whistle more of a fog horn, frankly.

“Farage the other day, not alluding to, but very clearly said that if we remain in the EU, there will be lots of migrant sex attacks on women throughout the UK. He has been described by someone else as a poundshop Enoch Powell.”

The Cumbrian MP went on: “We talk about Farage and about Boris to a certain extent with almost a tut or a chuckle in our voices, these people are fantastically dangerous. They would use that sort of language, that narrative to divide us from one another.”

He pointed out how there were as many Britons overseas as there were foreigners working in the UK, contributing to its culture and economy.

“This is normal and it will not end if we leave the EU because at great cost over many years we will elbow our way into the single market. We will have to have free movement as we do now but it’ll cost us more than we currently pay in and we will have absolutely no power whatsoever. So if you want to lose control and sovereignty, leave the EU,” declared Mr Farron.