A top Conservative election expert was working for MP Craig Mackinlay in his campaign to win the South Thanet seat despite claiming she had nothing to do with it, a court has been told.

Marion Little is facing charges related to allegations over expenses returns during the bitter campaign in 2015.

She was drafted in to help the campaign and to thwart Ukip leader Nigel Farage who was standing in the constituency.

Mrs Little said her role was to work on the national campaign and had nothing to do with Mr Craig's campaign and she had not replaced Nathan Gray as agent.

But the prosecution counsel Aftab Jafferjee said that was not the case and told a jury that the conflicting accounts of her work and role meant 'one or the other' must have been lying.

The jury was reminded of emails and evidence in which local constituency officials had said Mrs Little had effectively taken on the job of election agent and running Craig Mackinlay's campaign.

Aftab Jafferjee said the defendants' mantra that they were like ships passing in the night was misleading.

He said there had been a "head-on collision" between Mrs Little and the agent Nathan Gray.

He referred to an email in which the former association chairman Tony Salter had said "it seemed to me that she (Little) has taken over the whole campaign."

The jury was also reminded of a statement made by constituency association chairman Lynne Connolly, who when asked why she had been brought in, had replied: "To help Craig Mackinlay get elected."

The allegations revolve around the claim that had the costs of hotel accommodation for activists and party workers and other costs been recorded as local expenses, legally permitted limits would have been exceeded.

To avoid doing so, it is claimed these costs were reported as national rather than local constituency expenses.

The jury was also asked to consider the series of visits by Conservative VIPs and the claim made by the party that they were part of a national campaign.

The prosecution counsel Aftab Jafferjee referred to a visit by Boris Johnson. He asked the jury: "Do you really think he needed to hold a 'Regenerate Ramsgate' leaflet to boost his campaign?"

Mackinlay denies two counts of "knowingly making a false declaration on an election expenses return", contrary to the Representation of the People Act.

Gray denies one count of knowingly using a false instrument "namely in respect of the election expenses return for the long campaign period".

He also denies "knowingly making a false declaration on an election expenses return".

Little denies three counts of "intentionally encouraging or assisting an offence" in relation to the expenses returns.

The trial continues.