BORIS Johnson has been accused of hypocrisy after condemning the “appalling” racist abuse suffered by England players following their Euro final defeat.

Three of the team’s young stars were targeted online after missing penalties in the shoot-out against Italy.

Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka were inundated with comments on social media, with the English Football Association denouncing the "disgusting behaviour".

The Prime Minister echoed those sentiments, tweeting: “This England team deserve to be lauded as heroes, not racially abused on social media.

“Those responsible for this appalling abuse should be ashamed of themselves.”

However, angry social media users reminded Johnson of his record of using racist terms, as well as his refusal to rebuke fans who booed England players for taking the knee – an anti-racism gesture.

The Tory leader said he would not take the knee because he “does not believe in gestures” and said he did didn’t want “people to be bullied into doing things they don't necessarily want to do".

It came after England’s players were jeered by their own fans at several warm-up games ahead of the Euros.

READ MORE: England players racially abused after defeat to Italy in Euro final

In a Telegraph column in 2002, he labeled black Africans "piccaninnies" with "watermelon smiles”. He has also compared Muslim woman to “letterboxes” and suggested former US president Barack Obama has an “ancestral dislike of the British empire”.

Johnson’s tweet in support for the England players prompted a deluge of angry comments.

Citizen Khan star and Good Morning Britain presenter Adil Ray replied: “Piccaninnies & watermelon smiles, Prime Minister?”

The Prime Minister was branded “enabler number one” by former footballer and broadcaster Stan Collymore.

Academic Ioannis Loannou wrote: “This IS the country that people like you have created. This IS the result of idiotic and nationalistic decisions like Brexit. This IS the real, long term damage of your disgusting rhetoric. And thus this tweet could not be more hypocritical!”

Guardian football writer David Conn added: “Prime minister to racists before the Euros: You can boo England players taking the knee against racism; Prime minister when racists abuse England players: You should be ashamed…”

The Tory leader also took flak from political opponenets.

Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner commented: “You gave these racists license and were on their side - not the side of the players – a few weeks ago.

“Your government gaslights black Britons by saying that structural racism doesn’t exist and your own history of racist remarks speaks for itself. You are part of the problem.”

Green councillor Jonathan Bartley tweeted: “The racism against the England players should be condemned in the strongest possible terms – and so should the racist and anti-immigrant sentiment that has come from this Government.”

Priti Patel, who previously criticised the "gesture politics" of taking the knee, also came in for flak after criticising racists.

She posted: "I am disgusted that @England players who have given so much for our country this summer have been subject to vile racist abuse on social media. It has no place in our country and I back the police to hold those responsible accountable."

Responding to Patel, England football player Tyrone Mings accused the Home Secretary of "stoking the fire".

Mings wrote: "You don’t get to stoke the fire at the beginning of the tournament by labelling our anti-racism message as ‘Gesture Politics’ and then pretend to be disgusted when the very thing we’re campaigning against, happens."

The Metropolitan Police has condemned the "unacceptable" abuse suffered by the England players, adding it will be investigating the "offensive and racist" social media posts.

The force said in a statement on Twitter: "We are aware of a number of offensive and racist social media comments being directed towards footballers following the #Euro2020 final.

"This abuse is totally unacceptable, it will not be tolerated and it will be investigated."