Violence has “no part to play at all in politics”, Sir Keir Starmer has said after an apparent assassination attempt on former US president Donald Trump.

Mr Trump, the Republican Party nominee for the presidency in the coming November election, was playing golf at his club in West Palm Beach, Florida, when a man was discovered pointing an assault rifle into the course.

The FBI is now investigating “what appears to be an attempted assassination” of the former president, with law enforcement officials having named the suspect as 58-year-old Ryan Wesley Routh.

Sir Keir told broadcasters he was “very worried” about the incident.

Speaking during a visit to Rome, the Prime Minister added: “Obviously, there’s now an investigation going on so I won’t say much more about the details, but I think it is really important that we’re all very, very clear that violence has no part to play at all in any political process.

“So, deeply troubled. Let the investigation take its place. But absolute clarity: violence, no place in political discussion at all, anywhere.”

Mr Trump was safe and unharmed after the US Secret Service opened fire at a man pointing an AK-style rifle through a fence.

Republican presidential nominee former US president Donald Trump gestures as he arrives at an airport
Donald Trump has thanked the Secret Service and local police for their work (Alex Brandon/AP)

The man dropped the weapon and fled, and was later taken into custody.

The Trump campaign has credited the Secret Service with keeping the former president safe, after they were said to have swept the golf course ahead of him and found a gun pointing out of the bushes in his direction.

Mr Trump has thanked the Secret Service and local police for their work, and members of the public for their “concern and well wishes”.

Writing in all capitals on his Truth Social website, he added: “The job done was absolutely outstanding. I am very proud to be an American!”

Suspect Routh is reported to have frequently posted on social media showing support for the war in Ukraine, including efforts to raise money and recruit volunteers to go to Kyiv to join the fight against the Russian invasion.

Ryan Wesley Routh takes part in a rally in central Kyiv in Ukraine in 2022
Ryan Wesley Routh at a rally in Kyiv, Ukraine, in 2022 (Efrem Lukatsky/AP)

He is understood to have backed different political positions in the past, but in recent years had shown support for President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.

Mr Biden condemned the incident, and directed that the Secret Service have “every resource” to protect Mr Trump.

Ms Harris, Mr Trump’s Democrat rival for the presidency, said she was “glad” he was safe, adding that “violence has no place in America”.

The incident comes just nine weeks after Mr Trump was shot in the ear in an attempted assassination which took place as he held a rally in Pennsylvania in July.