Several senior figures are believed to be considering a "sensible" option of focusing the party's resources on a small number of Leave-voting Labour seats, The Daily Telegraph has reported.

The scenario would be a major fillip for Boris Johnson's hopes of winning a majority at the 12 December election, with claims the Brexit Party may not stand candidates in strong Conservative seats.

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Mr Farage had previously claimed the Brexit Party could field 600 candidates.

However, the party leader and forthright Brexiteer has kept an unusually low profile in recent weeks despite momentum building towards the announcement of a December general election.

Mr Farage branded the reports the Brexit Party was considering standing down candidates in hundreds of constituencies as "idle speculation".

The party leader distanced himself from the claims, saying: "This is idle speculation.

"I have not spoken to anyone of any seniority in the party [about this]."

But The Daily Telegraph has reported that senior Brexit Party sources are "fighting hard" to convince the leadership not to stand against Tory candidates.

This comes despite Mr Johnson so far refusing to go into coalition with the Brexit Party.

"The biggest danger is that we play party politics in order to destroy the Conservative Party and throw away Brexit in the process," a party source told the newspaper.

John Longworth, a Brexit Party MEP and chairman of Leave Means Leave, claimed his party might contest just "20 or 30" seats. He admitted the party's strategy was "in flux".

Prospective election candidates for the Brexit Party received an email yesterday telling them: "Message from HQ...important. Please go dark on social media. Do not respond to any questions about where we are standing, what the strategy or plan is from now.

"Things will be made clear very soon."

General election 2019: Brexit Party may stand "only 20" candidates as splits emerge under Nigel Farage