BNP leader Nick Griffin faced protesters and heckling in New Malden last night where he claimed his anti-immigration message was endorsed by Christianity.

The far-right leader took on the leader of the Christian Party, George Hargreaves, in a live head-to-head debate on Revelation TV, a paid-for television channel based in Cocks Crescent in Blagdon Road.

Protesters heckled Mr Griffin, who is an MEP, as he entered the building and two members of the studio audience had to be thrown out for shouting.

The party leaders appeared to debate the motion 'The election of a BNP member of Parliament would be detrimental to Christians in the UK'.

During the debate, Mr Griffin said: "To oppose mass immigration when we have an over-crowded island is not a threat to anyone, it’s just common sense.

"To pretend it’s not an issue is just unfair and it causes resentment.

"We believe that nations are ordained by God and that they will be there at the end of times, so logically from that all nations have the right to ensure they survive and are not simply swamped by an endless flood from elsewhere."

But David Campanale, a member of the Kingston Christian People’s Alliance, said the Christian Party were unwise to participate in the debate and the TV station was wrong to give free publicity to the BNP.

Mr Campanale said: "I am not convinced that this would have done any good for black Christians in the UK.

"The BNP is an evil organisation and this does nothing but fuel their publicity."

Gordon Petty, who moderated the debate, defended the TV station’s decision because some of the BNP’s policies aired the views of many Christians and therefore Mr Griffin deserved to be heard.

Mr Petty said: "From our perspective, we don’t agree with all the views of the BNP but we believe it is right that as Christians we do listen and make our own minds up.

"The BNP are the only party that would stop abortions in this country.

"Many Christians abhor abortion."

In October, the BBC's decision to invite Mr Griffin on Question Time was greeted with dismay by protestors and some MPs.

But the BBC said the BNP met the threshold to appear on the programme because it won two seats in the European Parliament.