THE UKIP candidate hoping to be Basingstoke’s next MP has criticised the police for alleged lack of action after the locks to his party’s election shop were vandalised twice.

Basingstoke UKIP opened a shop for the general election in Wote Street at the Top of The Town last month.

Alan Stone, the town’s UKIP candidate, has alleged a lack of action by Hampshire Constabulary after the lock to the shop was glued twice in a week.

Mr Stone told The Gazette that he reported the two incidents, which he says were on the nights of Saturday, April 25 and last Saturday, (May 2) but was told by the police that they couldn’t investigate his claims if he couldn’t narrow the time down.

He said that he would like the police to investigate, adding: “They (whoever glued the locks) are targeting the party and it is not a coincidence because the shop next door was not targeted and The Haymarket was not targeted so it is specifically against the party. It is a shame because I would rather debate with people than drill the door locks out in the morning.

“I am disappointed in the police. I can understand people targeting political things with banter and arguments but not by physical means.”

When The Gazette asked the police to comment, a spokesman said: “We are currently receiving a very high volume of media enquiries regarding issues to do with parliamentary candidates.

“As a result we have taken a decision that we are not going to comment on anything which may be used for pre-election publicity at this time.”