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A UKIP EU election candidate has quit the party in protest at rape 'joke' furore candidate Carl Benjamin.

Robert McNeil-Wilson - a candidate on UKIP's Welsh list - handed in his resignation just weeks before the May 23 poll.

In an e-mail seen by the Mirror, he told party chiefs using Mr Benjamin and fellow YouTuber Mark Meechan as candidates showed UKIP was no longer a "serious, reasonable, responsible and credible party".

It is too late for him to be taken off UKIP's slate, so he has vowed to quit the EU Parliament immediately if he is elected.

Police are continuing to probe comments by Mr Benjamin about Labour MP Jess Phillips.

Mr Benjamin, who calls himself Sargon of Akkad, was slammed after tweeting to Ms Phillips: "I wouldn't even rape you."

(Image: Birmingham Mail/Darren Quinton)

He later refused to "apologise for my crimes against political correctness", adding: "There's been an awful lot of talk about whether I would or wouldn't rape Jess Phillips.

"I've been in a lot of trouble for my hard line stance of not even raping her.

"I suppose with enough pressure I might cave, but let's be honest, nobody's got that much beer."

UKIP have refused calls to drop him as a candidate.

West Midlands Police said they were investigating the comments "to establish if an offence has taken place."

Mr McNeil-Wilson had almost no chance of being elected as he was fourth in line for any UKIP seats in Wales.

But the engineer and churchwarden's resignation is a blow to the party as it grapples with the fallout over Mr Benjamin and competition from Nigel Farage's Brexit Party.

(Image: Getty)

An e-mail from him to UKIP officials on May 3, seen by the Mirror, criticised party leader Gerard Batten for backing Mr Benjamin and Mr Meechan in a launch press conference.

It said: "The [EU election launch] press conference with the high-profile appointment, appearance and promotion of the two men whom Mr Batten announced as stand-up comedians has caused me to no longer believe in UKIP as a serious, reasonable, responsible and credible party for which I can work and represent.

"I regret, therefore, that I must advise you that I have decided to terminate my membership of UKIP, with immediate effect."

Mr McNeil-Wilson confirmed his resignation to the Mirror and said he would now campaign for the Brexit Party.

He said he had "a lot of respect" for leader Gerard Batten and the responsibility for Mr Benjamin's behaviour lay at his own door.

"The thing I am not comfortable with is I don't think it's desirable, advisable or reflects well on UKIP having people like that involved and promoted," he said.

A UKIP spokesman said: "We won't be commenting on the resignation."