British people feel their culture is being 'buried' by Islam and the 'weight of numbers' of immigrants, Ukip's new leader claimed today in his first major speech.

Henry Bolton, a 31-year veteran of the Royal Hussars and Territorial Army, today defended his claims to have 'fought Islam' and said 'I am proud of what I've done for my country'.

His rhetoric on tackling radical Islam came after his victory over the far-right Anne Marie Waters was widely seen as essential to avoiding a permanent Ukip split.

Mr Bolton, a virtual unknown who secured the stunning win yesterday, used his first major speech to demand an immediate Brexit as he unveiled a new 'Out Now' campaign.

Addressing activists at Ukip's conference in Torquay, he vowed to discuss with them how to rescue the party, which saw a collapse in its vote share and the loss of its only MP on June 8.

Ukip party leader Henry Bolton (pictured delivering his first key note speech in Torquay today) sensationally came from nowhere to win the party crown yesterday

Mr Bolton (pictured as he addressed party activists this afternoon) beat far-right anti-Islam candidate Anne Marie Waters. His win averted a split in the party over her hardline views

Mr Bolton demanded Theresa May take Britain out of the EU immediately as he unveiled a new 'Out Now' campaign (pictured)

The new Ukip leader (pictured left today after his victory and right while serving in the Army) has a huge job to introduce himself to voters after winning the leadership from nowhere

Mr Bolton has used his first day as Ukip leader to soften the party's line on immigration, telling reporters while numbers should be cut a hard target was not needed.

But in his speech to activists he demanded Mrs May implement a 'points based' system to bring in skilled migrants - despite it being deemed unworkable by No 10.

He said: 'Immigration is overwhelming our public services, housing and communities. It is harming our culture, traditions and way of life.

'Some talk of multi-culturism, but are we not permitted to preserve our own British culture? Of course we are. And this party shall.

JUST WHO IS HENRY BOLTON? THE NEW UKIP CHIEF'S CV December 2016-present: Deployable civilian expert for the UK Government's Stabilisation Unit April 2016-present: Consultant on international affairs and diplomacy. May 2016: Failed candidate to be Police and Crime Commissioner for Kent November 2013-March 2016: EU Strategic Planer on the EU Common Security and Defence Policy October 2012- January 2013: Senior advisor at the Foreign Office on Helmand Province, Afghanistan May 2005: Defeated Liberal Democrat candidate in Runnymede and Weybridge February 2003-April 2006: Home Office Ministerial adviser on Transnational Organised Crime and Intelligence August 2003-May 2004: Border Management Consultant at the European Commission September 1992- September 2001: Police Officer, Thames Valley Police February 1990-March 2000: Territorial Army Infantry Company Commander September 1979 February 1990: Trooper and NCO, Royal Husssars, British Army Advertisement

'The present rate of immigration is unacceptable. The Prime Minister has told us that a points system cannot work.

She says it would mean that ministers would be unable to stop someone who had accrued the requisite number of points from entering our country.

'What Tosh Prime Minister! Who is advising you?'.

Earlier, Mr Bolton signalled following his win that he would seek to change Ukip's message on Islam by dropping the party's 'integration agenda'.

The controversial document, unveiled by former leader Paul Nuttall during the election, was almost entirely focused on Muslims. Mr Bolton said he 'abhors' the rhetoric 'that says we are at war with Islam'.

But the new leader issued a stern warning British culture risked being 'pushed aside' by Islam and immigration.

He told reporters: 'There is concern amongst the population writ large that there is an undermining through general immigration and the weight of numbers that we have got, and Islam as well, that our culture is being buried by this, being sort of pushed aside.

'That's a concern that we need to recognise is out there, that's a perception that's out there and we need to address it.

'And there is also an element, a very small element that constitutes a security risk - we know what's been going on in London, we know what's been going on in the European Union and we know that a lot of that is linked to a perversion and a political abuse of the religion.

'So we do need to deal with that of course.'

At the party's conference in Torquay, he warned of British culture being 'pushed aside' by Islam and immigration, although he dropped the party's previous support of a cap on net migration

The new Ukip leader promised to launch a nationwide tour to meet and talk to party activists as he developed a new programme for the beleaguered party

Mr Bolton, who had a long military career until 2000 and later worked in Afghanistan, defended his statement during the leadership contest that 'I have fought Islam, I have been blown off my feet by an Islamic suicide bomber, I have been on the sharp end of this'.

The comments were highlighted by Tell MAMA (Measuring Anti-Muslim Attacks) which works with the Government to highlight anti-Islam 'hatred'.

Mr Bolton said: 'What I was referring to then was some of the operational work that I've done out of the ground which is a very different context to here.

'If you want to go out and spend 27 months in Helmand and if you want to go out and deal with things going on in the North Caucases, you will see what I'm talking about.

'That's what I've done, I am proud of what I've done for my country and serving my country and I hope to continue doing so in this role.

'So I'm not taking that context and putting it into let's take on any religion here.'

Mr Bolton told the BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'I think it's going to be incredibly difficult to achieve a deal'

Ukip's new leader Henry Bolton says he does not believe Britain will reach any Brexit deal and says the UK should not let the negotiations drag on

HENRY BOLTON'S WIFE GAVE BIRTH ON A COMMUTER TRAIN Mr Bolton hit headlines last year when his wife Tatiana Smurova-Bolton, gave birth on a packed train The new Ukip leader hit headlines last ear when his wife gave birth on a busy commuter train. Henry Bolton was travelling with his wife Tatiana Smurova-Bolton into London last May when she suddenly went into labour. After coming to a halt at platform 13 shortly after 4pm, the carriage was cleared by staff to give the expectant mother, who is married to Henry Bolton, some privacy. And Mr Bolton's third child, his daughter Victoria, was safely delivered by paramedics. Mr Bolton, 54, said he was very happy with how the unusual delivery unfolded. He said: 'One of the reasons I think it went so well is because it was in a natural situation and it wasn't in a hospital with loads of things going on,' he said. The baby, who weighed 3.82 kg (8.4 lbs). Advertisement

In the interview, Mr Bolton also watered down Ukip's past promises to cap immigration while calling for an Australian-style points-based immigration system.

In 2015 the party promised a temporary block on low-skilled and unskilled migration, and a limit of 50,000 high-skilled immigrants a year, while in 2017 the party committed to zero net migration.

Mr Bolton said: 'I'm not going to put a number on it.

'In different years there's going to be different amounts.

'For me what is important is that we as a society and as a government and as an administration providing services to the citizens of this country, we must be able to manage the inflow of immigration without putting undue pressure on our policing, on our hospitals, on our schools, on our road network, on our housing, on our economy.'

He added: 'Anybody who says put a figure on it is actually being entirely unrealistic and trying to paint politicians like me into a corner that gives you a nice thing to hang a comment on, but you're not going to get it from me because actually we need to be a lot more practical and operational about it.'

Mr Bolton also told the BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'I think it's going to be incredibly difficult to achieve a deal.

'I actually do not credit some of the people in the European Union with any wish whatsoever to have a smooth deal.

'The other thing is, I do not believe for a moment that we should be pushing this out and allowing the negotiations to be endless before we leave.'

And asked if he would 'ban the burka', Mr Bolton said: 'I don't think it's about banning the burka, is it? It's about 'What is the problem here?'

Ukip grandee Nigel Farage welcomed his appointment as party chief, calling him a 'man of real substance'

And asked if he would 'ban the burka', Mr Bolton said: 'I don't think it's about banning the burka, is it? It's about 'What is the problem here?'

'Now if we've got a security problem with identifying people, it's not just about the burka, is it? It's about full face covering. So, if indeed there is a problem with full face coverings, then the burka obviously is included in that.'

He added that his own personal opinion is if anything is making it difficult to identify an individual on the streets, it is 'something that we need to address'.

Discussing his political background, he said it was 'a long story', saying: 'I got into politics because when I was a United Nations administrator - effectively a district governor - in Kosovo. I was mandated, amongst other things, to help local political parties organise themselves and prepare for the first local government elections.

'At that time I knew very little about the internal structures and governance of political parties. And the only way I could really find anything out was by joining one of them, and I wasn't going to join the Conservatives or the Labour Party and it was a simple case of going for the one in the middle, which was the Liberal Democrats.'

Mr Bolton said he believes in 'old-fashioned, classical liberalism', but feels it has 'lost its way a bit'.

The new leader will set out his vision for how the party aims to re-establish itself as an electoral force on Saturday.

Henry Bolton has already stressed he will seek to unite Ukip after defeating a candidate whose description of Islam as 'evil' had threatened to split the party.

The second day of Ukip's conference in Torquay has seen the controversial ex Tory Neil Hamilton, who leads some of the party's Assembly Members in Wales, speak

Delegates of UK Independence Party clash with anti-austerity protesters during the party's annual conference

He is Ukip's fourth leader in a turbulent year marked by infighting which saw the party suffer a dismal general election, gaining just 1.8 per cent of the vote share, down from 12.6 per cent in 2015.

Mr Bolton said Ukip had avoided becoming the 'UK Nazi Party' after his defeat of Anne Marie Waters.

On Friday night, Ms Waters made her displeasure at the result clear.

She tweeted: 'Today: Jihad - 1 Truth - 0.'

She added: 'My Labour past was mentioned every day (I never hid it), but a Lib Dem past is fine.. No mention.'

The 54-year-old former soldier comes to the role after a distinguished career as a diplomat - having been awarded an OBE for services to international security in 2013.

Ukip grandee Nigel Farage welcomed his appointment as party chief, calling him a 'man of real substance'.

New Ukip leader Henry Bolton (pictured yesterday after being declared the winner) emerged from obscurity to defy the bookies and beat the two front-runners in the contest to replace Paul Nuttall

Despite being relatively unknown, the ex-Thames Valley police officer, who joined the party in 2014, is no stranger to running for elected posts.

He stood for the Liberal Democrats in Runnymede and Weybridge in the 2005 general election, finishing third behind current Chancellor Philip Hammond.

More recently, the Sandhurst alumnus stood for Ukip as Police and Crime Commissioner in Kent in 2016, finishing second.

Mr Bolton, who describes himself as 'an expert in borders, security and foreign policy', has worked as a diplomat for the United Nations, Foreign Office and the EU, according to his website.

Henry Bolton with his wife Tatiana Smurova-Bolton, who gave birth to their baby daughter on the 3.43pm Southeastern service from Ashford International to St Pancras International on Sunday May 15, 2016

The ex tank crew member arrived on the diplomatic scene after service in the military, having been deployed in Germany, Belize, Cyprus and Bosnia

It adds he was deployed to countries like Croatia, Kosovo, Libya and Ukraine on diplomatic missions for the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe.

The ex-tank crew member arrived on the diplomatic scene after service in the military, having been deployed in Germany, Belize, Cyprus and Bosnia.

After leaving the army, he worked as a police officer for eight years and received a commendation for bravery.

Last year, his wife gave birth to their daughter Victoria on a train that had just pulled into St Pancras Station - his third daughter.

After his surprise triumph, he called on the party to united behind him to deliver its aims.

He said: 'I do not see myself now as simply being your leader, I see myself as serving this party.

'You are the party, not me, and this party needs to serve its country.

'There is no greater calling than that and I would call on all of you, whether you voted for me or not, to rally around the party, to be united.'

He lives in Kent with his children and wife Tatiana Smurova-Bolton.