An elderly former doctor and tireless health campaigner says his “freedom of speech was muzzled” when his Ukip support posters were torn down four times in one week.

Dr Paul Dawson-Bowling, 74, who was a doctor at Faversham Health Centre for more than 30 years, has said he did not expect this behaviour from the “lovely” people of the town he cherishes.

The doctor, of Court Street, protested to save the cottage hospital more than 25 years ago, lobbying at the House of Commons and winning, and also campaigned more recently to save the minor injuries unit.

Mr Dawson-Bowling is one of more than 8,000 people in the Faversham and Mid Kent constituency who voted Ukip this year, and he has spoken out about why he supports this often controversial political party.

The purple and yellow placards were ripped down from his windows in Court Street, where he also displays information about Faversham Foodbank.

He has supported Ukip for the past year after voting Conservative in the 2010 elections.

Mr Dawson-Bowling explains why he supports the party: “I have long felt that there is something wrong, or misguided, that this country could go on absorbing more and more people.

“This is not simply about immigration – it is about overpopulation. It’s like we have a tin of marbles and we are trying to squeeze yet more marbles into the jar.

“My colleagues still in the health industry are saying to me they can’t take this any more – their services are full. They can’t take on any more patients.

“Our country simply does not have the infrastructure to deal with this overpopulation. People are thinking that it’s nice to welcome everybody in, but what about us?”

Mr Dawson-Bowling says Ukip leader Nigel Farage was the first to pledge a cash injection for the NHS, before all the other parties followed suit, which was endearing for the doctor.

After he saw Mr Farage on Question Time a year ago, he researched Ukip’s policies and says he found them “reasonable and measurable”.

He says that accusations of Ukip being racist are “ideologies manufactured by their opponents” and he has found no evidence of this.

Mr Dawson-Bowling said: “There is so much disinformation out there. Ukip have more non-white candidates than any other political party.

“I didn’t expect this reaction from Faversham as usually one of the town’s most appealing attractions is that the people are so reasonable.

“When I started supporting Ukip, I wrote a letter to a number of my Conservative friends outlining why I support the party. It’s not all about immigration. It’s about overpopulation and the pressure on the NHS and its funding.

“In a response to my letter, one man said I shouldn’t say sorry to be moving to Ukip, but I should feel sorry I had to write this letter.

“He said I have been campaigning for a local concern and we would perish the day when someone’s political affiliations are seen as an obstacle to do something good for this town.”

Mr Dawson-Bowling would like whoever took down his posters to approach him for a full conversation about their opposing views.