UKIP has been plunged into a new crisis after leadership favourite Steven Woolfe was taken to hospital following an "altercation" with another of the party's MEPs.
Party leader Nigel Farage ordered an inquiry after the 49-year-old underwent a brain scan after collapsing following reports of a confrontation with another politician at the European Parliament in Strasbourg.
Mr Farage later emerged from the hospital to confirm that tests had not found any bleeding on the brain but said Mr Woolfe had suffered two seizures - including "one quite major one".
"He did lose consciousness for a bit so things were pretty bad. He still has a bit of numbness down the left side of his face so it has been a pretty serious medical incident," he told reporters.
Mr Woolfe said in a statement that he was being detained in hospital overnight as a precautionary measure, adding: "At the moment I am feeling brighter, happier, and smiling as ever."
However the fall-out from the confrontation threatened to further damage the party's reputation at a time when it is locked in a leadership crisis following the resignation of Diane James just 18 days after she was elected to the post.
In a sign of the bitter divisions, the party's millionaire backer Arron Banks angrily demanded the suspension of the party's ruling national executive committee.
He warned that he would leave altogether if "Tory troublemakers and fifth columnists" succeeded in preventing Mr Woolfe from running for leader for a second time.
Mr Farage refused to be drawn on who else was involved in the incident which he likened to the conduct "you see in third world parliaments".
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"It's two grown men getting involved in an altercation. It's not very seemly behaviour, but I'm not today going to get involved in the blame game, name names and say who did what," he said.
"You see third world parliaments where this sort of thing happens. It's not good, it shouldn't have happened."
According to unconfirmed reports, Mr Woolfe was punched during the course of the altercation while other reports suggested that he banged his head after falling heavily.
He later collapsed after walking out of a voting session.
A photograph showed him lying spreadeagled and face down on a gangway clutching a briefcase, with an attendant leaning over him.
A spokeswoman for French national police said that the incident had not been reported to them and they had no current plans to investigate.
MEP Roger Helmer, who was at the meeting, confirmed there had been "a lively exchange of views" but said he did not see any physical confrontation.
He said the incident took place "a good two hours" before Mr Woolfe collapsed during a voting session at the parliament.
"There were some lively exchanges of views. I think you'll find that's not uncommon in political meetings. I certainly saw no physical altercation take place," he told the BBC.
Mr Woolfe, the party's immigration spokesman, was the first contender to throw his hat in the ring having been barred from standing in the last leadership election after it was ruled he submitted his nomination papers 17 minutes late.
There were claims that he had angered some MEPs by admitting that he had considered defecting to the Conservatives before declaring his candidacy.
Feelings were already running high, with some in the party deeply unhappy at Mr Farage's decision to carry on as interim leader until a permanent successor was in place.
