THE chairman of Wyre Forest’s UK Independence Party says the group was “deceived” by race-row former councillor Eric Kitson, who has now been thrown out of the party.

Neil Jukes, Wyre Forest branch chairman, defended UKIP’s vetting process but admitted a “small number” of the party’s candidates had “let themselves and the electorate down”.

He said UKIP regretted the “inconvenience caused and additional costs incurred” by running a by-election in Stourport.

The Shuttle understands the poll will be held on Thursday, June 27 but the county council has not yet confirmed the date. It is unknown how much it will cost but the county’s last by-election, for the Bowbrook division in November 2010, cost £11,580.

Mr Jukes said: “The inappropriate social network posts by Mr Kitson are unacceptable to UKIP at both a local and national level. He has now resigned as a county councillor and been ejected from the party.

“Mr Kitson deceived us all and is clearly an unsuitable person to represent both UKIP and the people of Stourport.

“Unfortunately, despite signing a candidates declaration form, a very small number of the unprecedented 1,791 UKIP candidates who put themselves forward at the last elections have let themselves and the electorate down, our vetting process like all parties however robust can never be 100 per cent.”

Mr Jukes confirmed UKIP would be defending the seat it won earlier this month in Stourport, with 1,385 people voting for 59-year-old Mr Kitson.

“We hope the people of Stourport will take this opportunity to re-enforce the message they have already sent to the other main parties,” he added.

Meanwhile, other Wyre Forest politicians have said UKIP should pay the costs of the by-election.

Liberal councillor Fran Oborski told The Shuttle: ”I believe UKIP should seek to reimburse the local authorities for the cost of the by-election, which is caused purely by their failure to properly vet their candidates.”

West Mercia Police officers have interviewed Mr Kitson and seized his computer.

His now-deleted facebook was found to have several anti-Semitic and anti-Islamic posts on it, causing outrage. He resigned as a councillor last week after just 13 days in the role.