UKIP's Steven Woolfe has quit the party after making a police complaint over a row with another of the party's MEPs.

Mr Woolfe said the party was "riddled with infighting, proxy wars between rival camps and is run by an NEC that is not fit for purpose".

He recently spent time in hospital in Strasbourg after an argument with Mike Hookem.

Referring to what happened in the French city, Mr Woolfe said: "With regards to the highly regrettable events in Strasbourg, I will reiterate my position that I received a blow from Mr Hookem that knocked me back into the meeting room and caused my subsequent injuries.

"Contrary to reports, I have made a police complaint.


"I am now seeking legal advice in respect of the investigations and will not be commenting further on the matter until the completion of those investigations."

Image: Steven Woolfe had been hoping to take over from Nigel Farage

In an interview Mr Woolfe has given, in addition to his statement, he is asked whether Mr Hookem did in fact strike him.

Mr Woolfe replied: "My version of events is very clear... He physically hit me."

The interviewer then asked: "And you fell back and hit your head?"

Mr Woolfe replied: "Yes".

In his statement, Mr Woolfe said he suffered "two seizures, partial paralysis and loss of feeling in my face and body".

Expanding on that in the interview, he added: "It's incredibly difficult when a doctor says that you had two seizures - one for three minutes, (one for) two minutes.

"If it wasn't for the two doctors and the MEP that (were) there within minutes, things could have been a hell of a lot worse for me."

Can you see any bruising or abrasions? pic.twitter.com/sXvoCRvtRG — Mike Hookem MEP (@MikeHookemMEP) October 8, 2016

Reacting to the resignation, Mr Hookem said Mr Woolfe's political career "was over once he showed disloyalty to the UKIP party and membership when he held talks to join the Tories".

"Steven has been warned about inappropriate behaviour by senior UKIP personnel for a year now. We wish him well and hope he can get his life sorted out."

He has previously said he did not strike Mr Woolfe, tweeting a picture of his hands to show they were unmarked.

Speaking to Sky News earlier this month, Mr Hookem said: "That photograph shows my hands, it was the day after the altercation, supposed altercation, to show that there is no marks whatsoever.

"It's high definition, there is no marks whatsoever on my hands."

He also tweeted a picture of Mr Woolfe "sitting in a hospital bed where there is no marks whatsoever on his face".

Image: Two former UKIP leaders: Nigel Farage and Diane James

Mr Woolfe's resignation coincides with the party announcing that a new leader will be in place by 28 November.

Nominations, which opened on Monday, will close in two weeks' time.

There will then be a series of hustings in the first two weeks of November.

In his resignation statement, Mr Woolfe claimed that UKIP was "ungovernable without Nigel Farage leading it and the referendum cause to unite it".

He added: "The way I was treated by members of my own party during the summer's leadership campaign and the events that have led up to today have all contributed to me coming to this conclusion."

Mr Woolfe had intended to stand in the contest to replace Mr Farage, who stepped down as leader after the EU referendum, but his application arrived after the deadline.

Once his medical recovery is complete, Mr Woolfe said he intends to sit as an independent MEP in the European Parliament.

UKIP's chairman, Paul Oakden, was asked by Sky's Dermot Murnaghan: "How united are you as a party?"

Mr Oakden replied in the future tense, saying: "We're going to be very united."