The appointment comes after the party hired former BBC producer Paul Lambert as its director of comms in December last year.

White was introduced to the party by Lambert, who was a former colleague at the BBC.

She will focus on publicising the Kent campaigns, including the Thanet South seat that UKIP leader Nigel Farage says he must win to remain party leader.

White was at BBC News for eight years, working mainly on crime stories including the cases of Levi Bellfield and Stephen Lawrence, as well as the Jimmy Savile scandal.