The leader of the UKIP group on Shepway council has quit the job after falling out with his fellow councillors.

Cllr Len Laws issued a statement in which he claimed that his position was untenable and accused colleagues of disloyalty. He has also quit the party.

He said: “With immediate effect I am resigning both as Leader of the UKIP Group on Shepway District Council and from the Ukip party. The conduct of some members of the UKIP councillors, their disloyalty and the conflict and chaos within Ukip locally has made my position as leader untenable.

"I believe I can best serve the residents of Walland and Denge Marsh as an Independent putting their interests first.”

He said that some of the seven-strong Ukip group had made it clear they were not prepared to work for him.

His former colleagues had undermined him by speaking out on issues such as the planned merger of district councils and the Otterpool housing development, he claimed.

He also said that he was upset at the way UKIP county councillor Bob Neaves was deselected for the KCC election.

“I also feel strongly about the treatment of Bob Neaves who was our UKIP councillor in Folkestone South and not selected to stand for UKIP this May. This selection process has been found to be flawed but unfortunately only after Bob left the party.”

He said he would sit as an independent and put the interests of his constituents in Walland and Denge Marsh first.