Say what you like about UKIP – and you will – the insurgent party has never been shy of attracting attention at the expense of the older, legacy parties. Refreshingly, it also exhibits a sense of humour on the campaign trail.

Witness Thursday’s visit by Conservative Party chairman Grant Shapps to Sandwich in Kent, an area presumed by the Tories to be theirs and theirs alone. Shapps was met on arrival by a small group of Conservative faithful as well as a dozen UKIP supporters keen to get their message out in an area Nigel Farage will have to claim if he is to win the South Thanet constituency next month.

As our pictures show, UKIPers left nothing to chance on the day and made sure Shapps’ official Tory campaign bus did some advertising for them.