The speaker of Britain's House of Commons on Thursday wrote to Nancy Pelosi to voice his concern after her office was ransacked by pro-Donald Trump protesters.

"Seeing your office trashed in that way and its occupation by one of the rioters was particularly outrageous," Lindsay Hoyle said in a letter made available by his office.

"I am just so relieved you were not hurt, although I can only imagine how violated you must feel after having a protester at your desk," he added.

One Trump backer, wearing jeans and a baseball cap, was pictured propping a leg up on the Speaker of the House of Representatives' desk, as crowds stormed into Congress just as lawmakers were certifying Joe Biden's presidential election win.

Biden called the violence, which came after a Trump rally, an "insurrection".

Hoyle said he hoped Pelosi's possessions were untouched, "particularly the lovely picture you so proudly showed me of (Winston) Churchill's address to the joint session of US Congress in 1941".

jwp/phz/har

JAPAN TOBACCO