UKIP leader Nigel Farage has been challenged to end the speculation over whether he is going to fight to become Folkestone’s MP at the next election.

The call from sitting MP Damian Collins comes as a new poll shows Mr Farage could miss out if he did choose to contest the Shepway seat next year’s General Election.

Mr Farage came in second behind Mr Collins according to the poll published this week. But it shows Mr Farage has slashed the gap between the two parties by 40 percentage points since the 2010 vote.

It suggested a third of people in Shepway would vote for Mr Farage but this would not be enough to defeat Mr Collins.

Results showed 32.9% who said they would vote in next year’s election would choose Mr Farage. However, this would not be enough to unseat Conservative Mr Collins, who received 36.4% of the vote in the telephone poll.

Mr Collins won the seat in 2010 with 49.4% of the vote with UKIP trailing in fourth with 4.6%.

Mr Collins said: “If he wants to stand in Folkestone he should say so now. I think he might be hedging his bets on where his best chance of winning is. He should make a committment to the constituency if that’s his intention.

He added: “These polls are a bit of a finger in the air. We’re still 12 months away but it doesn’t give you the full picture.”

Mr Farage said: “I was very surprised by the opinion poll and pleased with the result. I’ve not made my mind up but it’s more than likely I will stand in Kent.

“I’m not going to make it until after the European election in 50 days and that’s my priority.”

The poll results imply UKIP would become the second party in the area, leapfrogging the Liberal Democrats, who will be represented by Folkestone town and Shepway district councillor, Lynne Beaumont.

They dropped from second in 2010 (with 30.3% of the vote) to fourth in the latest poll with 9.6% dropping behind Labour (17.8%) in third. Mr Farage said in October he would be targeting the constituency ahead of the election –which will be held in May 2015 – as UKIP looks to gain its first MP in Westminster.

However, it is also believed he might be interested in standing for the seat in Thanet South after present Tory MP Laura Sandys said she would not be running again in 2015.

UKIP made considerable gains in both areas in the last county council elections in May 2013. All of Folkestone’s three county council representatives are from UKIP while Romney Marsh member David Baker also represents Mr Farage’s party.

Hythe is represented by Green Party councillor Martin Whybrow and the Elham Valley by Conservative Susan Carey.