A TADLEY UKIP councillor has denied that he ever resigned from the party.

As reported by The Gazette yesterday, several UKIP bosses revealed that Councillor Stephen West, Tadley Central ward member for Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council, resigned from UKIP two weeks ago by email. Alan Stone, chairman of UKIP Basingstoke, and John Bentham, UKIP North West branch chairman, both confirmed he had quit the party.

However, Cllr West, who was unavailable for comment last night, emailed a series of statements to The Gazette hours after the story was made public and denied the claim, saying he had “categorically not resigned from UKIP.”

Cllr West, who is a member of UKIP’s North West branch, said: “Around two weeks ago, I made it clear to Andover UKIP that unless they end the civil war that is effectively tearing the local party apart, that they can count me out.

“I can only speculate that the source of this inverted pyramid of piffle about my resignation comes from one of the wreckers within the Andover local party.

“My focus continues to be serving my community and I would urge Andover's UKIP members to unite behind their chairman and do the same.”

However, according to Mr Stone, Cllr West was reinstated back into UKIP last night. Speaking to The Gazette this morning, Mr Stone said: “I was under the understanding that he had resigned from UKIP.

“He’s back in the fold, he’s promised to attend his council meetings regularly, represent his electorate and not poke other people who don’t need poking, he’s just got to do his job properly now.”