UKIP''S general secretary has quit the party over the handling of Carl Benjamin's remarks about raping Labour MP Jess Phillips.

Paul Oakley claimed it was an "own goal" for the party to invite Mr Benjamin, a former European election candidate for the south west, to speak at an event in Eastbourne on Sunday afternoon.

Mr Oakley told LBC: ""These EU elections were always going to be hard for us. We were doing okay, then one of our candidates said he might cave and rape a Labour MP and all we got in the media after that was the 'rapeyness' [sic] of our party.

"On a practical level we tried to shut it down by saying it was under police investigation and we wouldn't answer any questions. Our policy was deeply ignored.

"We're now on zero per cent in the opinion polls, and as general secretary I was incensed by that.

"I suggested to the NEC immediately after the election that we take disciplinary proceedings and it was decided they must be completely formal. Nothing at all happened. I want nothing to do with him, what an own-goal."