Ukip leader Nigel Farage has been in Rochester today to announce the party's candidates for the Medway Council elections.

He revealed that two former Tory councillors and mayors, Cllr Tom Mason and Cllr Vaughan Hewett, would be standing for the party in the May 7 vote.

Strood Rural's Cllr Mason, 81, was deselected by the Tories when they announced their line-up for the Rochester and Strood seats and subsequently thrown out of the Tory group for refusing to rule out standing as an independent.

The Ukip leader at Rochester Castle gardens, welcoming Cllr Tom Mason and Cllr Vaughan Hewett to the party. Picture: Ukip.

Cllr Hewett, a Rainham North ward representative, resigned last May over a disagreement over the choice of group whip saying he intended to act as “an independent Conservative”.

He had announced in October 2013 that he would not be standing for re-election this year.

Mr Farage made the announcement with Rochester and Strood Ukip MP Mark Reckless in the Castle Gardens, Rochester this afternoon.

Mr Reckless also used the occasion to launch his Get Strood Moving consultation.