Mere hours ahead of his presidential visit to the United Kingdom, Donald Trump has insulted the major of London, Sadiq Khan.

Trump, who is making a state visit to Great Britain this week, was questioned by reporters outside the White House ahead of his Air Force One flight to London Stansted airport. When asked his opinion of Khan, Trump stated: "I don't think much of him. I think that he's ... the twin of Bill de Blasio, except shorter."

Trump later took to social media to express his opinion of the British mayor in full. He tweeted: "@SadiqKhan, who by all accounts has done a terrible job as Mayor of London, has been foolishly 'nasty' to the visiting President of the United States, by far the most important ally of the United Kingdom. He is a stone-cold loser who should focus on crime in London, not me."

He added: "Khan reminds me very much of our very dumb and incompetent Mayor of NYC, de Blasio, who has also done a terrible job - only half his height. In any event, I look forward to being a great friend to the United Kingdom and am looking very much forward to my visit. Landing now!"

However, the former-Labour MP has not taken Trump's comments lying down. A spokesperson for Khan has released an official statement, in which they said: "This is much more serious than childish insults which should be beneath the President of the United States."

They added: "Sadiq is representing the progressive values of London and our country warning that Donald Trump is the most egregious example of a growing far-right threat around the globe, which is putting at risk the basic values that have defined our liberal democracies for more than 70 years."

Indeed, not all of Britain has extended a warm welcome to the president, and one teenager has controversially mown the shape of a massive penis in the grassy lawn near London airport to greet Donald Trump before his arrival.

Mere hours ahead of his presidential visit to the United Kingdom, Donald Trump has insulted the major of London, Sadiq Khan.

Trump, who is making a state visit to Great Britain this week, was questioned by reporters outside the White House ahead of his Air Force One flight to London Stansted airport. When asked his opinion of Khan, Trump stated: "I don't think much of him. I think that he's ... the twin of Bill de Blasio, except shorter."

Trump later took to social media to express his opinion of the British mayor in full. He tweeted: "@SadiqKhan, who by all accounts has done a terrible job as Mayor of London, has been foolishly 'nasty' to the visiting President of the United States, by far the most important ally of the United Kingdom. He is a stone-cold loser who should focus on crime in London, not me."

He added: "Khan reminds me very much of our very dumb and incompetent Mayor of NYC, de Blasio, who has also done a terrible job - only half his height. In any event, I look forward to being a great friend to the United Kingdom and am looking very much forward to my visit. Landing now!"

However, the former-Labour MP has not taken Trump's comments lying down. A spokesperson for Khan has released an official statement, in which they said: "This is much more serious than childish insults which should be beneath the President of the United States."

They added: "Sadiq is representing the progressive values of London and our country warning that Donald Trump is the most egregious example of a growing far-right threat around the globe, which is putting at risk the basic values that have defined our liberal democracies for more than 70 years."

Indeed, not all of Britain has extended a warm welcome to the president, and one teenager has controversially mown the shape of a massive penis in the grassy lawn near London airport to greet Donald Trump before his arrival.