Ukip leadership favourite Steven Woolfe has "reached out the hand of friendship" to the fellow MEP involved in the altercation which resulted in him being treated in hospital, a colleague has said.

Steven Woolfe in hospital.

After visiting him in hospital in Strasbourg, Ukip MEP Nathan Gill said Mr Woolfe accepted that "things did go too far" during his confrontation with Mike Hookem in the European Parliament yesterday.

Mr Gill told reporters that while Mr Woolfe was recovering well, he was being kept in hospital for a further 48 hours as a precautionary measure.

"It was at one stage touch and go," he said.

Mr Woolfe collapsed about two hours after the incident and lost consciousness outside the EU legislature's chamber after taking part in votes. Pictures showed him sprawled face down, still clutching a briefcase on a walkway in the parliament building.

Former party leader Nigel Farage said Mr Woolfe had passed out and suffered two seizures, one quite major, but scans had shown no blood clot or bleeding on the brain.