Watch: Pro-Palestinian protesters heckle Sunak and Starmer

Follow The Telegraph’s live coverage of the BBC election debate

Pro-Palestinan protesters heckled Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer from outside the BBC general election debate at Nottingham Trent University.

Demonstrators protesting both parties’ positions on the Israel-Gaza war were making so much noise they could be heard by viewers at home.

The demonstrators outside the debate, who are protesting both parties’ positions on the Israel-Gaza war, are making so much noise they can be heard by viewers at home.

Distant shouts, cheers and a megaphone were heard on the televised feed of the head-to-head between Mr Sunak and Sir Keir.

Mishal Husain, the host of the BBC debate, acknowledged the protest going on outside by saying it is an “aspect of democracy”.

“If you can hear any noises of ladies and gentlemen or anyone at home, there is a protest taking place outside, which is also an aspect of our democracy and people exercising their freedom of speech,” she said.

Demonstrators cheered, blew whistles and played music.

They chanted: “Rishi Sunak, shame on you, killing kids is what you do” and “Keir Starmer, you can’t hide, we charge you with genocide.”

Police officers later descended on the protest, with at least a dozen officers in high-vis uniforms approaching the crowd.

Social media users were quick to pick up on the disruption, with a number of X users calling the background shouting “distracting”.

One said: “This debate is losing me: all I can hear is the background protesters.”

The party leaders went head-to-head in their final televised debate of the election campaign on Wednesday.

The debate was one of the Prime Minister’s final opportunities to win over voters before polling day on July 4.