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A Ukip candidate cleared of trying to 'bribe' voters with free sausage rolls last night likened the European Union to Adolf Hitler's 'evil dictatorship'.

Kim Rose, 57, quoted the Nazi dictator's autobiography, Mein Kampf, at a hustings event as he claimed the EU runs Europe like a dictatorship.

The Southampton Itchen parliamentary candidate argued that the EU is 'evil' and without a referendum Britain will face '100 years of darkness'.

He added he was 'sure' that in 15 to 20 years time, European Armed Forces will see control taken completely from the UK unless we cease our membership.

The jeweller, from Romsey, Hampshire, was taking part in a debate with other candidates fighting for the key marginal seat.

(Image: Solent)

He said: "There is a quote from Adolf Hitler which reads: 'the best way to take control over a people is to take a little of their freedom at a time, to erode right by a thousand tiny and almost imperceptible reductions.

"In this way, the people will not see those rights and freedoms being removed until past the point at which these changes cannot be reversed.

"We will not get a referendum. The European Union will not let that happen and I'm sure in 15 to 20 years we will have a European Armed Forces and control will be taken completely from the UK."

When asked to clarify his comments after the event, Mr Rose added: "The reason I mentioned Hitler is that this is what he wanted and this what is happening.

"What is the EU if it isn't a dictatorship? If they do something wrong we can't vote them out.

(Image: Solent)

"Quite frankly if it has sensationalised it and has brought it to peoples' attention then quite frankly they haven't been listening so far.

"If they don't listen on May 7 it will be too late because Article 44 of the Lisbon Treaty means we won't be able to have a referendum, and our children and our grand children will face 100 years of darkness.

"My dad's mother was Jewish. Hitler was evil, I'm just saying the EU is evil as well."

Rival candidates criticised the Ukip candidate, with Green John Spottiswoode saying: "He shouldn't bring Hitler into it.

"I think it's totally out of order, it's a different situation as it's a democratic situation with the EU while Hitler was a nasty, violent dictator."

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Conservative opponent Royston Smith added: "The EU system is corrupt, it is the biggest example of a jobs for the boys project ever, but it is in no way comparable to anyone like Hitler."

Mr Rose has enjoyed a lively election campaign so far after being accused of 'bribing' electors by offering them meat and pastry snacks at a party event involving snooker star Jimmy White.

After he was questioned for the offence, known as 'treating', he revealed police warned he would be arrested if he offered anyone else a sausage roll.

When he first discovered the allegations against him at the time, he joked: "Thank god they didn't find out about the Jaffa Cakes."

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Technically Mr Rose could have been fined and jailed for a year if he was found guilty of trying to sway voters by handing them sausage rolls.

This May represents the fourth time Mr Rose is standing in the key marginal seat of Southampton Itchen, Hants - a key Labour-held battleground for the major parties next month.

In 1997, he stood in the general election as a candidate for the Socialist Labour Party which was launched by former mine workers leader Arthur Scargill.

In 2001 and 2005, the flamboyant businessman stood for UKIP in the Southampton Itchen seat, in the latter polling 1,623 votes.

The current Southampton Itchen MP is Labour's John Denham, who won by just 192 votes last time but will stand down after the election on May 7.