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Police are investigating Ukip leader Paul Nuttall over claims of election fraud in the Stoke Central by-election.

Mr Nuttall, who is standing for the right-wing party in the by-election, is alleged to have claimed on his registration form that an address in Stoke-on-Trent was his home address.

But he has since admitted publicly that he was not living at the address at the time the form was submitted.

The party say he moved into the three-bedroom end terrace last night - several days after he made the claim.

He is understood to have slept on a mattress on the floor of the house last night.

Making a false statement of a home address is an offence under the Representation of the People Act.

Staffordshire Police confirmed today: “We have received a report of an allegation of election fraud relating to the Stoke Central by-election on Thursday 23 February 2017.

“Officers will be investigating the circumstances.”

A Ukip spokesperson said: “We are entirely happy that all rules have been complied with.

“If and when the police decide to talk to us we will be happy to help them.”

The agent for Labour candidate Gareth Snell has written to Stoke’s returning officer, querying the nomination.

In a statement, Acting Returning Officer Fiona Ledden said today: “It is clear from this that, as Acting Returning Officer, I am required to take the nomination document provided to me at face value and I am not in a position to investigate what appears on the form.

“There was an opportunity to object to any nomination papers and no objections were received.

“We understand the police are due to investigate and we will be co-operating fully as we would in any other matter.”