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A UKIP council candidate who tweeted that Islam is "evil" and homosexuality an "abomination" has been suspended from the party.

Harry Perry was seeking election in the Offerton ward in Stockport.

Leader Nigel Farage had commented that his party contained "some idiots" but the reporting of problems within UKIP was "disproportionate".

Another UKIP candidate resigned last week after making controversial remarks about comedian Lenny Henry.

The party said on Friday it had started disciplinary proceedings against Mr Perry and did not condone his "crackpot" views.

'Nasty things'

Mr Farage was speaking in Dover as he unveiled his latest poster for the European elections on 22 May.

On Mr Perry's Twitter account, @harryperry15, he calls for Pakistan to be "nuked", dubs David Cameron a "gay-loving nutcase", Muslims "devil's kids" and homosexuality an "abomination before god."

Mr Farage said: "I've never heard of the bloke until last night. I've no idea who he is. I think he comes from the north west of England.

"Clearly his attitude and views are entirely inconsistent with being a member of UKIP. Simple."

The other parties do these things and say these things it would appear with impunity Nigel Farage, UKIP leader

He added: "I could show you 14 elected councillors from the Lib Dem, Labour and Conservative parties who haven't just said nasty things, they've been convicted this year of nasty things.

"And yet it never makes a national headline.

"I am not saying we haven't had our problems; we have. Every party has these kinds of problems but there is a completely disproportionate media spotlight on what goes wrong in UKIP compared to the others."

Asked about David Cameron's comment that it is not necessary to discredit UKIP because they do a "good enough job themselves", Mr Farage laughed and said: "It was good clever politics. I'll give him that.

"Yeah, we've got some idiots. [But] what is happening here is the establishment are singling out a handful of unpleasant comments made by UKIP people and yet the other parties do these things and say these things - it would appear with impunity."

'Racist views'

Mr Perry came fourth in the Offerton ward election in 2012, with 349 votes. He describes himself on his Twitter profile as "interested in politics and religion and what is happening to our country in respect to multiculturalism".

His tweets came to light after he sent private messages to a Lib Dem candidate on Facebook.

The BBC has not been able to reach Mr Perry for a response.

Last week, UKIP council candidate William Henwood, from north London, left the party by "mutual agreement" after tweeting that Lenny Henry should emigrate to a "black country" and comparing Islam to the Third Reich.

The week before, another candidate, Andre Lampitt, who appeared in a UKIP election broadcast, was suspended for expressing what a party source called "extreme racist views" on Twitter.

Mr Farage said he was "very angry" that "someone like this has been allowed to slip through the net".