Nigel Farage pictured eating a bacon sandwich

  • Politics
Nigel Farage was pictured tucking into the sandwich during a visit to the Heywood and Middleton constituency. Credit: Peter Byrne/PA Wire

Nigel Farage was captured by photographers tucking in to a bacon sandwich today in what appeared to be a direct challenge to Labour leader Ed Miliband.

It came during a walkabout in the Heywood and Middleton constituency in Greater Manchester, which both party leaders are visiting today ahead of an upcoming byelection.

Miliband - whose party currently holds the constituency and is backed by bookmakers to come out on top again - had previously been lampooned after a photograph caught him in the act of eating a bacon sandwich.

Miliband addressed the bacon sandwich photos in a recent speech. Credit: Andrew Matthews/PA Wire

While tucking into his meal, Farage was forced to deny claims from onlooking reporters that he had dripped sauce on his shirt, proclaiming his sandwich-eating performance a "6.6".

The Ukip leader - who campaigns for Britain's departure from the European Union - added that he would be "very worried" if the bacon turned out to be Danish, citing "inferior animal husbandry" in the Scandinavian country.

It remains to be seen whether Miliband will take a second stab at public sandwich-eating during his visit later today.