Comic jokes 'Boris told me to do it,' after playing P45 prank on Theresa May

Theresa May's party conference speech descended into chaos as a prankster handed her a P45 unemployment notice on stage.

Comedian Lee Nelson - real name Simon Brodkin - joked that British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson had asked him to perform the stunt.

Watch the moment a comedian tries to hand @Theresa_May a P45 letter during her conference speech #CPC17 pic.twitter.com/egAel2lyxs

— Sky News (@SkyNews) October 4, 2017

Amid frantic scenes he was bundled out of the conference hall and through the exhibition stands by security staff at the Manchester Central venue.

He told reporters: "Boris told me to do it. He's left me in the lurch."

Nelson was later seen being led from the conference hall in Manchester in handcuffs.

Around the same time, a tweet from his official Twitter account appeared, saying: "Hi @BorisJohnson, I gave Theresa her P45 just like you asked."

Hi @BorisJohnson, I gave Theresa her P45 just like you asked. pic.twitter.com/gzW0UluDMv

— SIMON HAS MOVED PAGE (@Simons_moved) October 4, 2017

The 'P45' he handed to the Prime Minister gave the 'Reason for termination' as: "Neither strong or stable. We're a bit worried about Jezza."

The comedian, whose stage name is Lee Nelson, made a name for himself with a stunt at a press conference where he showered scandal-hit Fifa president Sepp Blatter with money.

He was arrested by Swiss authorities for trespassing at the event in July 2015 but later released.

He has also targeted Philip Green, the former owner of collapsed retailer BHS, by hanging a sign reading "BHS Destroyer" on the billionaire's superyacht, and disrupted then US presidential candidate Donald Trump at a Turnberry ribbon-cutting ceremony by attempting to hand out golf balls with a swastika printed on them.

Nelson also stormed the Glastonbury stage during Kanye West's set in June 2015 wearing a T-shirt with "Lee-Zus" on it before being removed by security.

A year earlier, he tried to board the England football team's jet as they set off for the Brazil World Cup.

He was given a conditional caution after he duped security at Manchester City's game at Everton in March 2013 and limbered up alongside star players.

There was another comic moment during the speech, when two letters fell off the slogan behind Mrs May.

It had read "BUILDING A COUNTRY THAT WORKS FOR EVERYONE" until the F in FOR and the final E in EVERYONE disappeared.