A leaflet which had to be removed from circulation by Reform UK after complaints about a breach of election rules has been reported to the police.

The party sent out a six-sided pamphlet bearing the image of leader Nigel Farage and the logo for Kent County Council (KCC) ahead of the local elections.

Critics claimed voters may have been misled to believe KCC was endorsing the party.

Reform UK was forced to withdraw the leaflet from distribution and publicly apologise for using the logo. The party’s London head office conceded it had not gone through the official approval process.

The leaflet states on its imprint that it was designed and printed by local DJ David Wimble, who is also a district councillor at Folkestone and Hythe. It was sent out to residents in the local area via Royal Mail.

Mr Wimble is standing against the established Conservative member on Romney Marsh, Tony Hills, for Reform UK.

The candidate was seen by Mr Farage’s side during the leader’s visit to Hythe late last month.

A smiling Mr Wimble strode through the High Street surrounded by a group of bodyguards as he introduced his leader to local business people.

Tim Prater, who is standing as a Liberal Democrat in the Cheriton, Sandgate and Hythe East division at the May 1 election, has reported the matter to Kent Police.

Now Mr Wimble’s local publication, called The Looker, has published an outright apology which critics say does not go far enough to redress the impact of the alleged breach.

It appears as a quarter page box on page 19 of the latest edition, although a double page spread on pages four and five carries a lengthy report on Mr Farage’s visit with pictures, five of which feature Mr Wimble.

The apology reads: “It has come to our attention that a pre-election leaflet distributed by Royal Mail during the week commencing April 7 included a logo which may have inadvertently implied an endorsement by KCC. We wish to make it absolutely clear that no such endorsement was given, and this was never our intention.

“We fully acknowledge the importance of transparency in political communication and regret any confusion this may have caused.

“Upon being notified of this oversight, we acted within two hours to instruct Royal Mail not to distribute the second batch of campaign leaflets, as well as any subsequent mailings that may have contained the same logo.

“We sincerely apologise to any voters who may have found this misleading.

“Please be assured that our individually delivered manifestos do not feature the logo in question and accurately represent the views and positions of our candidates.”

It was signed by the branch chairman William Wright and campaign manager Mr Wimble.

But Mr Prater and activists from other parties claim distribution of the offending leaflet was not satisfactorily halted, with local people still receiving it through the post.

In his email to police, Mr Prater states: “Publishing an apology on quarter of a page of page 19 of a poorly read, not Royal Mail distributed magazine is hardly reasonable in terms of retraction: the offence was seen by tens of thousands, the apology by tens.

“They may as well put a poster in a window in Dungeness for all the impact it will have: the admission and apology should have a distribution at least equivalent to the offence.”

When asked about Kent Police being informed of the alleged breach of electoral law, a Reform UK spokesman said: “It is the first I have heard about it. We have nothing further to add.”

Green Party candidate for Maidstone, Stuart Jeffery, said: “Electioneering is not a joke. There are rules to follow and we have to follow those rules in order to have fair election campaigns.”

All parties are presently in “purdah”, a state of “heightened sensitivity” when it is forbidden to use council resources in political campaigning, according to the House of Commons Library.

It is unclear what law may have been breached by Reform UK but it may fall under the Representation of the People Act, copyright or trademark legislation.

Kent Police said: "Officers have reviewed a complaint made in connection to an election campaign leaflet circulated in the Folkestone area. The alleged misuse of a Kent County Council logo is a matter for KCC."