John Cleese (Pic: Youtube)

John Cleese (Pic: Youtube)

John Cleese has sparked controversy after claiming London no longer feels like an English city.

The comedian made the comments during an Australian TV interview with ABC's Chris Uhlmann for the 7.30 show.

After discussing his comedy career, Cleese was asked about last month's UK riots.

He replied: "I'm not sure what's going on in Britain. Or, let me say this: I don't know what's going on in London because London is no longer an English city.

"That's how they got the Olympics, they said 'we're the most cosmopolitan city on Earth'. But it doesn't feel English.

"I had a Californian friend come over two months ago, walk down the King's Road and said to me, 'Well, where are all the English people?'

"I love having different cultures around but when the parent culture kind of dissipates you are left thinking, 'well, what's going on?'"

His comments were welcomed by Ukip leader Nigel Farage but others criticised the 71-year-old's remarks.

Ben Naylor commented on Twitter: "You and your friend probably did see a lot of English people, John Cleese, it's just that they might not all have been white."

Another Twitter user, calling themself bat020, wrote: "London never has been and never will be 'English' in the sense John Cleese would like it to be, thank goodness."

Cleese, who has lived in the USA in recent years, was reported in July as saying he could no longer afford to live in the UK due to the levels of tax.

He said: "I would have to earn around £6million before I kept a penny. So the question is where do I go? Liechtenstein? Tax is too high in Europe."