Nigel Farage has comfortably won a special election that he triggered, meaning he will remain as a member of parliament after a contest that all the other major British parties boycotted, leaving his main opposition as a comedian dressed as a trash can.

Nigel Farage has won the Clacton by-election amid contested claims he was told by police not to attend the election count due to a “credible threat” against him.

"They were both incidents about routine policing: attending an incident, stopping a suspicious car, or in this case, approaching three suspicious-looking men," Sir Mark Rowley said.