STEVE Stanbury's claim in his published letter last week that: "UKIP won last week, and it will win in the Forest in May, because we believe that local people and local issues must always come first," rings a little hollow from a candidate who was parachuted into this constituency from London just a few weeks ago.

Clearly UKIP could not afford the national scrutiny that would surely have followed had they chosen their local front-runner with the questionable shopping history.

There is no doubt that UKIP had some momentum here in the Forest having won three seats in last year's county council elections. However, now the record of their elected councillors is there for all to scrutinise.

This week, there was a meeting of Gloucestershire County Council. Among the issues debated was a motion supporting the work of the domestic abuse support group in educating people on the appalling effects of domestic abuse.

The press release from the county council quotes UKIP county councillor Richard Leppington as saying, "I support the motion and feel that any decent human being would want to stop any kind of violence towards any person, be they male or female."

What the press release doesn't show is that Richard Leppington, in the company of his UKIP colleagues Alan Preest and Colin Guyton left the meeting at midday and did not stay to participate in the debate or the vote which took place in the afternoon.

No doubt the well-practised Nigel Farage will be able to give them help in filling in their expenses claims.

– Cllr Bruce Hogan (Lab), Forest of Dean District Council, Lydbrook and Ruardean.