Activists claiming to be Ukip supporters in the party’s key target seat of South Thanet have been reported by Labour for intimidation and verbal abuse, police said.

As the closely fought battle for the Kent constituency moved into its final hours, supporters aligning themselves to the Ukip leader, Nigel Farage, were accused of pressuring people as they approached polling stations, and swearing at those who said they would not vote for the party.

Farage denied that any of his party’s officials would have been involved in such behaviour but said he could not be held responsible for the actions of unknown people claiming to be from Ukip. Labour supporters, in turn, have been accused by Ukip of destroying posters.

Pete Wallace, Labour’s constituency organiser in South Thanet, said he told police of four incidents of intimidation in different parts of the constituency from Thursday morning.



In one incident in Margate, he claimed, voters said they had been intimidated by Ukip supporters as they approached a polling station.

In another, a group of Ukip-supporting men in Ramsgate allegedly abused voters of other parties as “scum”. Three men walked into Labour’s office in the town and swore at volunteers, Wallace said.

“They are hanging around in big groups, sometimes up to nine people. It is intimidation, and wrong to behave that way near polling stations,” Wallace said.

Brian Messenger, a Tory council candidate in Margate, said his party had received complaints of verbal intimidation of voters outside some polling stations.

The result in South Thanet, expected at 6am on Friday, will define the future direction of Ukip, because Farage has promised to stand down as leader if he loses. The constituency has been the scene of a particularly tense battle, with polls showing that Farage is in a close fight with his Tory opponent, Craig Mackinlay.

The Labour candidate in South Thanet, Will Scobie, released a statement saying: “Whichever way people want to vote, they should be free to do it without abuse and intimidation.”



Farage said Labour’s claims were a sign of desperation. “Labour tellers are leaving polling stations after seeing a poor turnout from their voters. Having said that, a number of activists could be working in our name or in Labour’s name when they are not,” he said.

Ukip said its local councillors’ properties had been attacked and their posters ripped up throughout their campaign. One councillor’s window had been smashed with a plant pot, while others’ homes had been sprayed with paint, a party spokesman said.

Kent police said they had been looking into reports of “disturbances” at a number of polling stations but that their initial inquiries suggested no offences had taken place.

A spokeswoman said the reports of disturbances were in Zion Place, Cliftonville and Prince Charles Road, Broadstairs.