Nigel Farage brands Maltese affair allegations as 'completely innocent'

The Ukip leader denies that he was holding hands with a travel chief during a business trip to Malta

Nigel Farage as he arrives to hear results of the South East region European Parliamentary Election vote at the Guildhall in Southampton (AP)

Nigel Farage has denied allegations that he had an affair with a Maltese travel chief.

The Ukip leader was pictured seemingly holding hands with Ande Soteri as he entered his hotel in the early hours of this morning (5 June) during a trip to Malta where he delivered a speech for the Institute for Travel and Tourism’s (ITT) annual conference in Valletta.

However, he also could have just been helping the woman – who is ITT commercial director – as she was on crutches.

“Good god no,” he said when approached about the allegations.

“I had never even met her before yesterday – completely innocent.”

The pictures, released today by The Mirror, are hazy and obstructed by the paper’s logo. Upon being asked directly whether or not he had slept with the woman, he gave a firm “no”.

"What an impertinent question. No," he said, before adding that he had been helping Soteri as she was having difficulty walking.

"I did not help her back to her room," he said.

"I helped her into the lift. That was it. We were not alone. There were other people in the lift."

Farage’s wife, Kirsten, gave a "no comment" after being shown the pictures this morning.

The politician has been married to his second wife since 1999 and she now serves as his secretary.

He has been accused of having affairs before.

In 2005, reports emerged of him having a seven-times-a-night tryst with a Latvian woman, rumours which he denied, but for which he was nevertheless allegedly applauded by members of Ukip with a can of 7UP.

In 2006, he was accused of having an affair with 32-year-old colleague Annabelle Fuller. Both Farage and Fuller have vehemently denied the allegations.

He has four children – two sons with his first wife and two daughters from his second marriage.