Ofcom is to investigate Sky News after Nigel Farage accused the broadcaster of “haranguing” his daughter at her home amid questions over his financial affairs.

The media watchdog reportedly confirmed it would launch a formal investigation into the broadcaster, after Reform UK made a complaint about its reporting last month.

It said it would investigate a complaint of unfair treatment by the programme, and also about unwarranted infringement of Mr Farage’s privacy.

Last month, Mr Farage lashed out at the media following Times and Sunday Times investigations and had a row with Sky News, saying he had “never been angrier in my life” as he complained about media treatment of his family.

Mr Farage said: “For some reason, last week the editor of the Times newspaper decided to publish a picture of where my daughter lives.

“There is no public interest in my daughter whatsoever.”

He claimed she has had “broadcasters haranguing her”, including Sky News.

Sky News said it had made “reasonable efforts” to contact Mr Farage with “legitimate questions to answer”.

“We acknowledge that Sky News was part of a broadcast pool operation outside a property linked to Mr Farage yesterday,” the broadcaster said.

“We approached the property off-camera on a single occasion, identified ourselves, and the occupant chose not to engage.”

His statement came after the Reform UK leader reacted angrily as Sky News approached him at an airport, telling a reporter: “You tell your bosses, you harass my family any more and there will be serious consequences. That is what your organisation has done this morning.”

Sky News then initially said it had not contacted Mr Farage’s family over the story.

In a complaint to Ofcom, Reform said the report had presented Mr Farage as a “liar” and had “omitted critical context” from the clip.

According to The Telegraph, the watchdog has now said: “Ofcom has entertained a complaint from Reform UK, made on behalf of Mr Nigel Farage, of unjust or unfair treatment in the programme as broadcast. We have also entertained a complaint about unwarranted infringement of Mr Farage’s privacy regarding the programme as broadcast.”

Responding to the investigation, Mr Farage wrote on social media: “Ofcom is launching an investigation into Sky News after they harassed my daughter.I have been appalled at the way various members of my family have been treated.”

In a previous statement Sky News, said it was outside a property where Mr Farage was registered to vote at the last election.

“Sky News did not interact with Mr Farage’s daughter,” the broadcaster said. “On a single occasion, we approached the property without a camera operator, identified ourselves as Sky News, and the adult occupant chose not to engage.

“We were seeking to contact Mr Farage to ask questions about the gift he accepted from Mr Cottrell. This is a well-established and routine journalistic practice when reporting on matters of legitimate public interest.

“The footage clearly demonstrates that Sky News did not “hound” or pursue Mr Farage’s daughter. At no stage did we seek to speak to anyone other than Mr Farage in connection with this story.”