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Former Cardiff Plaid Cymru councillor Mohammed Islam and former Newport Tory councillor William Routley have confirmed to walesonline that they are defecting to Ukip.

They were unveiled this afternoon as the party's newest members at Ukip's Welsh conference in Margam Park.

Both lost their seats at the last council elections in 2012.

Mr Islam, who represented the Riverside ward for eight years, said: "I didn't agree with Plaid going into coalition with Labour at the Assembly in 2007. Now they're talking about backing a Labour government at Westminster.

(Image: Peter Bolter)

"I am very much against Labour and totally opposed to this. That's why I'm joining Ukip."

Asked whether he was interested in standing for the Assembly as a Ukip regional list candidate in 2016, he said: "It's too early to say."

A Plaid Cymru spokeswoman said: "The former councillor in question has not been an active member of Plaid Cymru for some years.

"He lost his seat in 2012 and his activity levels dropped when he was not selected to be a candidate in the 2013 Riverside by-election in his former ward."