Want the top news headlines sent to your inbox daily? Sign up to our FREE newsletter below Subscribe Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

A Brexit Party candidate admitted voting remain at a hustings event after being asked to leave because of his behaviour.

Richard Ogden, who is standing as a parliamentary candidate for Newcastle North, was asked to leave the event on Saturday after he branded his fellow candidates liars and tried to speak over them.

Mr Ogden shocked guests at the event in Chapel House Community Centre by then running from the stage before admitting he had voted remain in the EU referendum.

It comes just days after he was banned from contacting outdoor advertising company Clear Channel after turning up with a megaphone and started behaving "aggressively and intimidatingly" towards staff.

Mr Ogden told ChronicleLive that his opinion on Brexit had changed because it was a democratic decision.

He said: "It has never been a secret that I voted remain and changed my opinion.

"It is not something that I personally go around shouting about. It is not the most important issue we are dealing with.

"The main reason I changed my mind is because the politicians promised the electorate that they would implement the referendum."

Independent Councillor Marc Donnelly, who was at the meeting, said the candidate was asked to leave because he was interrupting other candidates and calling them liars.

He added: "When he was asked to leave, he got up from his seat and ran out of the hall. Nobody could understand what was going on. He didn't come back in until the meeting had actually ended. It was quite bizzare.

"He would be better entering the Olympics as he ran at some speed.

"When he was speaking to a resident in the corridor he said he had voted remain and then the resident came in and disclosed this to everyone."

Mr Donnelly added: "If there is one thing, it does show how important it is to research the candidate."

As the candidates discussed other policies such as crime and eduction, Mr Donnelly said Mr Ogden was only focused on Brexit.

But, Mr Ogden dismissed the claims saying he was challenging candidates on Brexit and that the party's manifesto was based on seeing through the result of the EU referendum.

Nick Cott, who is a Liberal Democrat candidate, slammed Mr Ogden's behaviour at the event.

He said: "For the Brexit Party candidate it was an opportunity for grand standing.

"He was quite insulting and calling them liars. I did challenge him on that count. In public life, you can't accuse people of being liars."

Mr Cott said the behaviour did not go down well with the audience and branded it "distasteful".

He added: "It was just made to be a pantomime."