A former Canterbury journalism student and model has become the new girlfriend of Ukip leader Henry Bolton after he split from his wife.

Mr Bolton, 54, from Folkestone, has spoken of "a change in my relationship status" after taking up with Jo Marney who is less than half his age.

Miss Marney, 25, studied multimedia at Christ Church University and lives in Maidstone.

On Twitter, she describes herself as a ‘presenter, journalist, model, actor and Brexiteer’.

On Boxing Day, she tweeted a photograph of herself with Mr Bolton who succeeded former leader Paul Nuttall last year in a surprise victory.

He previously made the headlines in May 2016 when he helped wife Tatiana, 42, after she went into labour on a train and gave birth to their second daughter at London’s St Pancras Station.

But in recent message to party members, he wrote: "In recent weeks, I’ve had a change in my relationship status.

"If you follow me on social media – and hopefully you all do – you will have already seen that recently I have spent time with somebody who has become increasingly important to me. This isn’t something that I’ve hidden."

Mr Bolton said members should "be confident that it in no way distracts me or our party from the vital mission we have ahead of us".

He added: "Whilst I fully accept that as a national political figure I can expect to be the subject of media attention, I also believe we’re all entitled to a certain degree of privacy. As such, I’ll be making no further comment on the matter."

Mr Bolton said he would like to stand as the party’s candidate in the Folkestone and Hythe constituency at the next election.

He was the party’s candidate in the police and crime commissioner election in Kent.