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UKIP have selected a former councillor who once suggested euthanasia be used to cut the number of children in care as their mayoral candidate for the North of Tyne.

Hugh Jackson resigned his seat on North Tyneside Council , where he sat as a Conservative , in 2008 after the comments made at a finance sub-committee meeting caused a political storm.

He suggested euthanasia as a possible solution in response to hearing that 43 vulnerable youngsters from the borough were cared for in other local authority areas at the time, costing the council £3.4m a year.

The former teacher, who represented the Monkseaton North ward, apologised and called his comment "misplaced humour", but was suspended by the Conservative Party and later resigned.

He has since stood as a UKIP candidate in several local elections in North Tyneside.

After his selection was announced on Wednesday, UKIP chairman Kirstan Herriott said: "UKIP does not condone the comments made in 2008 by Hugh Jackson, who made those comments in the name of the Conservative Party.

"It has never and will never form part of UKIP's policy agenda."

After making his euthanasia comments in 2008, Mr Jackson told the Chronicle: "It was misplaced humour, one of those things I wish I had not said. As soon as I said it I wished I hadn't, it should never have been said."

"We were discussing some of the expensive bits of the budget and one of those is children looked after out of the borough.

"I said have we looked at other policies and said something along the lines of have we thought about euthanasia?

"The chief executive of the council was there and said I should apologise and I was happy to do so because I should never have said it in the first place."

The Corbridge-born candidate graduated from Newcastle University before going on to serve in the army and becoming a teacher in North Tyneside.

A UKIP spokesman added: "He has considerable experience in politics having served for many years as a councillor on North Tyneside Council.

"He was chairman of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee and its representative on the North East Assembly and the Court of the University of Newcastle.

"He now wants to take on the vital role of Mayor at a time of great change and potential for the area.

"He will rekindle the fire and drive that made it the powerhouse and envy of the world.

"A new era of industrial revolution lies ahead and he will ensure that the people of this wonderful area enjoy and benefit from the opportunities presented by the 21st century.

"His extensive knowledge and experience of politics and life, coupled with his vision for this part of the country, make him a supremely capable and well qualified candidate."

The other candidates confirmed to contest the mayoral election on May 2 are: Jamie Driscoll (Labour), Charlie Hoult (Conservative), John Appleby (Liberal Democrat), and John McCabe (Independent). Nominations for the election closed on Wednesday.