The contest to become Herne Bay’s next MP is set to heat up this weekend with the arrival of Ukip leader Nigel Farage to open a town centre campaign office.

Mr Farage is standing in South Thanet, but will be in Mortimer Street on Saturday to support his colleague Piers Wauchope, who is vying to become the town’s MP.

The new campaign office will be in Herne Bay’s busiest shopping street, which used to be called the Down to Earth grocery shop, run by Stan Truelove.

Mr Truelove, who hopes to be a local Ukip council candidate in May, has given the shop to the party until the lease runs out in March.

But he admitted he won’t be able to meet Mr Farage because he is going to watch Manchester United against Leicester.

He said: “I am really gutted but that’s the way it is. Mr Farage and I will have to have a pint somewhere else!

“I thought I’m paying the rent for the shop until March, so I might as well. After that we will have to find somewhere else in the town.

“We have a party office in Ramsgate as well, but it would be nice to have one in Herne Bay.”

The party’s constituency campaign manager John Moore said the arrival of Mr Farage on Saturday morning is a huge boost the election campaign.

He said: “It’s fantastic, and it shows we are in business and we are fighting for this seat and we are going to win.

“At the moment Nigel is the man. Wherever he goes people follow. So we really appreciate him sparing time to come and support us in HerneBay.”

Mr Farage recently had a spat with North Thanet’s current MP Sir Roger Gale after Sir Roger launched a scathing attack on the Ukip leader in his column in the Herne Bay Gazette, describing him as "bandwagon Farage".

But Mr Moore believes Sir Roger’s opinion column has backfired and will lead to more support for Ukip.

He added: “We love it, we will be dealing with it in the normal way with a letter in reply to the Gazette.

“It’s all good publicity, we enjoy every mention. So the more people want to criticise us the better.”

The campaign office opening will take place at 9am this Saturday in Mortimer Street.