Donald Trump abandons UK visit to open new US embassy 'amid fears he won't be welcome'

Donald Trump has abandoned plans to visit the UK next month for the opening of the new £750m US embassy.

The president backed away from the idea due to fears he won't be welcome in the country, and the possibility of mass protests, according to various reports.

But when Mr Trump confirmed the decision on Twitter he put it down to his disapproval of the location and price of the new embassy.

He wrote: "Reason I canceled my trip to London is that I am not a big fan of the Obama Administration having sold perhaps the best located and finest embassy in London for “peanuts,” only to build a new one in an off location for 1.2 billion dollars.

"Bad deal. Wanted me to cut ribbon-NO!"

However, the embassy's move from Mayfair to Nine Elms, near Battersea, was first reported in 2008 before Barack Obama was president.

Mr Trump is believed to be sending Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in his place to the opening of the new building.

Downing Street refused to comment on the report and the US embassy in London was unavailable for comment.

It comes despite Prime Minister Theresa May saying last week that Mr Trump "will be coming to this country".

Mrs May controversially extended the offer of a state visit when she became the first world leader to meet Mr Trump in the White House following his inauguration last year.

Since then, however, the president has indicated he does not want to take up the invitation if he is going to face mass demonstrations.

Last month, the White House said it will announce details "soon" of Mr Trump's proposed visit to the UK.

Mrs May and Mr Trump fell out spectacularly in November over his retweeting of anti-Muslim videos posted online by the deputy leader of the far-right Britain First group, Jayda Fransen.

At the time, the PM said Mr Trump was "wrong" to retweet the videos, and the US president hit back at Mrs May on Twitter by telling her to focus on "destructive radical Islamic terrorism" in the UK, rather than on him.

The United States announced plans to move from its current embassy building in Mayfair in 2008 and the new building will open on January 16.

On the embassy web page about the project, it said: "The project has been funded entirely by the proceeds of the sale of other US Government properties in London, not through appropriated funds."