European Parliament leaders have condemned US President Donald Trump's potential choice as envoy to the EU.

Businessman Ted Malloch is believed to be the favourite for the role.

In a letter, the leaders of the main parliamentary groups say he supports the dissolution of the EU and that his views reveal "outrageous malevolence".

One of the leaders separately said that Mr Malloch, who has previously compared the bloc to the former Soviet Union, should be declared "persona non grata".

In an interview with the BBC last month, Mr Malloch said: "I had in a previous career a diplomatic post where I helped bring down the Soviet Union. So maybe there's another union that needs a little taming."

He also said Mr Trump was not a fan of the EU, because it is "supranational" and "unelected".

He has also been a vocal critic of the common currency and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker.