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A Ukip candidate for Haverhill Town Council was disqualified for election because of a form discrepancy.

It has been suggested that the nominee was unable to stand because they wrote 'UKIP' rather than writing out UK Independence Party out in full, invalidating their candidacy under strict Electoral Commission rules.

The costly acronym eliminated the nominee, making it an uncontested win for Labour's Liz Smith in the Haverhill North ward.

A spokesperson for St Edmundsbury Borough Council said: There was a single seat up for election with two people nominated. The nomination papers for one of these was determined as invalid. The reason for this was that the information wasn't completed as it should have been.

"The description on the nomination paper did not match the one on the certificate of nomination."

According to the spokesperson advice was sought from the Electoral Commission and the legislation was followed.

Speaking to the Daily Mirror a spokesperson for Ukip said it appeared to be a "minor clerical error".

Asked if the party gave candidates advice on how to get their paperwork right, he replied: "If they ask for it."

The election was called after Thomas Chivers resigned from the town council to take up a research position in London.