An election troubleshooter brought in to help the Conservative campaign in South Thanet has denied she deliberately omitted expenses for hotel accommodation on the party’s returns.

Marion Little is facing charges she falsified election expenses in the 2015 general election when she was drafted in to help the party head off the challenge from Ukip leader then Nigel Farage, who was contesting the seat.

In her second day in the witness box, she was asked by defence counsel about the returns submitted under election rules and the costs associated with hotel accommodation for volunteers from outside the area during the campaign.

“Did you deliberately leave off the costs of hotel accommodation to take you under spending limit for Craig Mackinlay?” asked James Sturman.

Mrs Little replied: “No”. She was also asked about a campaign leaflet concerning the party’s support to re-open the former Manston airport site.

The defence counsel questioned the contents of a proposed flyer from the party, setting out its commitment to re-open it.

Asked if the costs were local or national expenditure, she said “both” but denied she had left the costs of the flyer off election returns for the local campaign.

The court heard the campaign over Manston was not being helped by the stance taken by the leader of Kent County Council, Conservative Paul Carter.

Asked about an email outlining the concerns about Cllr Carter, Mrs Little said she did not understand fully why but that “he had made some unhelpful comments” about Manston.

She was asked about the nature of the campaign and the feeling that Conservative activists and volunteers were receiving a hostile reception when campaigning from Ukip supporters.

“A lot of people came back saying there was a hostile atmosphere,” she said.

Asked if she had experienced anything similar during her career, she said it reminded her of the election she had been involved in Newham, London, when the BNP and National Front had been active.

A court has heard how a string of high-profile ministers were drafted in to help boost the Conservative election campaign in South Thanet in the general election in 2015.

The details of the visits, almost on a daily basis, were part of the party’s strategy in the hotly-contested battle for the seat which was being contested by former Ukip leader Nigel Farage.

Among the political VIPs were Boris Johnson, former party leaders Michael Howard, Iain Duncan-Smith and William Hague.

Defendant Marion Little, who co-ordinated the campaign repeatedly denied that the visits were part of local party expenditure.

The court heard how on one occasion, a media event was arranged to go to a farm to dig up a cauliflower which was then taken to Sandwich market as part of a visit by ministers James Brokenshire and Liz Truss.

Mrs Little, who denies the charges against her, was asked by her defence counsel about the arrangements for a visit by Boris Johnson.

She said she had been worried about the welfare of local party supporters as his visit had generated a “media scrum.”

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.