Missing wing mirror forces UKIP to postpone campaigning

UKIP's Paul Nuttall has had to cancel a day of campaigning after the party's battle bus was damaged.

Mr Nuttall had been scheduled to visit Dagenham and Clacton-on-Sea in the purple tour bus - the first time he has personally used the bus since unveiling it in Boston last weekend.

But a UKIP spokesman said the campaigning was to be postponed after a wing-mirror was knocked off while the vehicle was parked up.

"It would have been dangerous for us to drive it without the wing mirror. We've been told it will be fixed by tomorrow, and so the bus will be going to Dagenham tomorrow", the spokesman said.

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Paul Oakley, UKIP's candidate for Clacton, used Twitter to warn local branch activists that the leader's visit had been cancelled.

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"Now hear this! The UKIP battle bus has been mysteriously damaged overnight so will now be in Clacton at the weekend and not today", he wrote.

When asked by Paste BN whether his use of the word "mysteriously" implied the damage to the bus was intentional vandalism, he responded: "I have no idea, I wasn't there."

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Another UKIP source said they did not believe the bus was damaged intentionally.

It follows a difficult night for Mr Nuttall in the ITV Leaders' Debate on Thursday night.

As well as being mocked for twice referring to Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood as "Natalie", he also came under concerted attack from the other leaders for being the sole advocate of Brexit on the stage.

The postponement of the battle bus campaigning could also have a knock-on effect on Mr Nuttall's own efforts to win a seat in Westminster.

Paste BN understands he had been due to campaign on Saturday in the Boston and Skegness constituency where he is standing as a candidate.