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A 'men's rights' candidate has been left fuming after he realised a hustings audience consisted entirely of women.

Mike Buchanan - leader of the Justice For Men And Boys (And The Women Who Love Them) party - claimed the BBC should be 'thoroughly ashamed' after tonight's debate.

The ex-Tory is standing against Labour shadow women's minister Gloria de Piero in Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, on a ticket to highlight men's rights 'for a damn change'.

The controversial candidate and his four rivals were invited to an hour-long broadcast for BBC Radio Nottingham from a leisure centre.

But a row exploded when Mr Buchanan, who has claimed most feminists are 'hatchet-faced miserable women', found out the show's format.

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He revealed the audience would be '12 women voters who have gone through a vetting process' and would address 'the hunt for the vital women's vote'.

Mr Buchanan turned up to the hustings anyway but declared to the presenter: "You and your colleagues at BBC Radio Nottingham should be thoroughly ashamed.

"As a state broadcaster the BBC assaults men and boys' human rights."

He attacked ex-GMTV newsreader Ms De Piero by saying she was "selected from an all-women shortlist, an abomination in a democracy."

He claimed there was a "deliberate increase" in women doctors who had caused a drain on the NHS by working fewer hours.

And he complained a Labour government would employ "feminist bigots such as Yvette Cooper" while highlighting that "men pay 72% of the taxes in this country".

Many members of the all-female audience failed to get the message.

"You seem to have a thing about women and men," said one audience member.

"When I go to the doctor's, I won't care if it's a gentleman or a lady."

Another heckled him as he made his closing speech, apparently telling him he should be 'ashamed'.

Thousands of campaigners regularly say there is still a huge gulf between the sexes, with full-time working men twice as likely to earn over £50,000.

A BBC spokesman said: "Mr Buchanan was given a week's notice about the all women audience and therefore had good opportunity to decide not to take part.

"It was editorially justified to discuss policy on women in front of an all female audience, in a debate in which two of the candidates had clear views on these issues.

"The debate was one of a number of BBC Radio Nottingham's wide election coverage."

Mr Buchanan left the Tories in 2009 after the party used all-women shortlists and started the party in 2013.

He drew criticism for his views among Mirror readers after claiming "unattractive women are drawn to feminism like moths to a flame".

He also bemoaned the fact that women can't be 'held responsible' after an alleged rape, saying: "There are female beer goggles, or Chardonnay goggles or something."