The chairman of Kent Ukip has stepped down from the role after criticising the party’s leader and calling for a change at the top.

Richard Palmer says he has not left the party and is expected to be Ukip's general election candidate for Sittingbourne and Sheppey for a second time.

“I am still in the party but I just don’t think we are performing well at the top. Councillors are working their socks off but we have lost some very good ones. Paul [Nuttall] has done some very good things but to come out with some of the things he has in the last few weeks - I don’t really agree with them.”

The Sittingbourne and Sheppey Ukip association is due to have a selection meeting tomorrow to decide who should be its candidate in June.

Mr Palmer, who is parish councillor for Newington, said he was applying for the nomination and expected to be selected.

He fought the seat in 2015 when he came second behind Conservative Gordon Henderson.

He was the party's candidate for Swale East in last week's KCC election, coming second to winner Andrew Bowles, the leader of Swale council.