A COMMENT made by Nigel Farage at the Brexit Party conference in Newport last weekend did not amount to a criminal offence, Gwent Police have concluded.

The force was investigating Mr Farage's comment that when Brexit has happened "we will take the knife" to "overpaid pen-pushers in Whitehall who are not doing a neutral job", made to an audience at the Neon in the city on September 21.

The comments were captured on a video, after which the comments were condemned as hate speech, and they prompted Alliance Party MEP Naomi Long to tweet the police, asking for an investigation to be launched.

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Gwent Police subsequently confirmed that it was investigating the matter, but has since issued a statement confirming that it will not be pursuing it.

"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," reads the statement.

"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."

Mr Farage had already tweeted about the matter, stating that he should have said "‘take the axe’, which is a more traditional term for cuts".