The Conservative candidate fighting Nigel Farage for the South Thanet seat owns a website that encourages Hungarian nationals to come to the UK for jobs.

Craig Mackinlay, who is also a ward councillor in Medway, said in a statement the site was dormant and had been set up in 2008 with his Hungarian wife but the idea for the business had been abandoned.

However, his political rivals criticised him for pressing the case for stiffer border controls at the same time as encouraging migrants to come to the country.

According to a report in The Daily Mirror, the website Angolmelo.com, which translates as "work in England", was set up by Mr Mackinlay with his wife in 2008.

The web address was renewed in October 2014.

It tells Hungarian nationals there are "substantial opportunities across the UK to work in the agricultural and food processing sectors."

It says workers could be able to earn as much as £3,500 after tax and accommodation costs for 20 weeks' work, roughly £175 per week.

Mr Mackinlay said in a statement: “This was an idea that my wife and I had many years ago but it never got off the ground. The organisation never launched.

"It didn't help a single person to come to Britain. The website was never even translated into Hungarian.”

"The idea came in response to concerns about people being trafficked from Eastern Europe and exploited in the British labour market.”

"My wife is Hungarian and she knew a number of people who had done seasonal work here and suffered at the hands of unscrupulous gang masters.

"We wanted to help people who planned to come to Britain to work, play by the rules and make a contribution.”

“This was an idea that my wife and I had many years ago but it never got off the ground. The organisation never launched" - Craig Mackinlay

He added: "Immigration needs to be reduced and controlled but we should welcome people who want to come to Britain to work, play by the rules and contribute - and we should be uncompromising when it comes to the trafficking and exploitation of people wherever they come from."

Nigel Farage said: "We will just have to see how the people of Thanet South react to this".

Will Scobie, the Labour candidate, said: "Encouraging migrants to come to the UK while calling for closed borders shows the inconsistency of a man who's willing to stand five times for Ukip before switching to the Tories.”