Image copyright Reuters Image caption Mark Reckless (right) lost his seat to the Tories in the general election

UKIP has appointed ex-MP Mark Reckless as its economic spokesman, it says.

The former MP for Rochester and Strood, who defected from the Conservatives in 2014, replaces MEP Patrick O'Flynn in the reshuffle.

Mr O'Flynn was involved in a public dispute with party leader Nigel Farage after the general election.

Also in the reshuffle, deputy treasurer Christopher Mills becomes business spokesman, Nathan Gill international development and Julia Reid science.

Mr Farage said: "This brings real-world experience into our top team.

"Each is an expert in his or her field and will be able to explain how their own sectors will benefit from EU exit.

"It all shows how the UKIP story has many more chapters to run".

Mr O'Flynn resigned in May and apologised to Mr Farage after calling him "snarling, thin-skinned and aggressive".

The former Daily Express political journalist, who was UKIP's chief spokesman during the general election campaign, provoked a row after saying Mr Farage risked turning the party - which won one seat despite getting four million votes - into a "personality cult" and an "absolutist monarchy".

Mr Reckless lost his seat to the Conservative party in the election, polling 16,009 votes to Kelly Tolhurst's 23,142.