UKIP party leader Henry Bolton should quit and be replaced by Nigel Farage, according to the party’s candidate for Folkestone and Hythe at the last election.

Harriet Yeo, who was drafted in as the candidate during the 2015 election, said he had brought the party into disrepute and shown a lapse of judgement.

It follows his announcement that he had left his wife, Tatiana, 42, and was in a new relationship with Jo Marney, a model in her 20s, who lives in Maidstone.

However, he has faced questions about the relationship and the point at which he left his third wife by which he has two children, including a baby daughter.

Mrs Yeo said Mr Bolton had misled people about his personal circumstances and since becoming leader had done little to develop the party’s policy platform as he had promised.

“He had led us to believe that he was a family man which has proved to be wrong.

"Everyone is entitled to a private life but when you go out with someone less than half your age and then post tweets about it, it shows a lapse of judgement.”

She said Mr Bolton was behaving like an immature adolescent.

“That is not what you want from a leader. It is ridiculous and his position is untenable, bearing in mind that we have no policy programme. He has not shown he has the ‘nous’ to be the leader of a political party.”

She said she was “sad for the party” but wanted Mr Farage to return as leader - at least on an interim basis.

Mr Bolton has also been criticised by Shepway Ukip councillor Susie Govett, who was his press aide during the party leadership campaign.

She has posted a series of disparaging Tweets about Mr Bolton, among them one which said: “The reputation of the party, its members, its councillors, its supporters and voters has been and will continue to be damaged by this.

"At a time when we need to professionalise the party in order to give voters the confidence that we are responsible enough to represent them.”