The UK Independence Party (UKIP) was forced to apologize after one of its canvassers was caught on CCTV urinating on an elderly woman’s property before trying to push his way into her home on Saturday morning.
Footage shows a man wearing a jacket with a UKIP rosette relieving himself on the side of a property as he was pounding the pavement in Stoke Central handing out leaflets supporting party leader Paul Nuttall in the upcoming by-election.
The voter, who the local newspaper, the Sentinel, named as 73-year-old Marjorie Pinches, is seen confronting the canvasser and asking him to leave.
When Pinches tells him to “go away,” the man apologizes repeatedly – before trying to push his way into her home and asking to use the toilet.
Speaking to the local newspaper, Pinches said: “I automatically put the cameras on before I opened the front door, I always do. I saw this man who put the leaflet through.
“After he did that, I saw him having a good look round the side of my house and then he started to urinate up my fence.
“I went out and had a word with him and then before I could shut my front door, he put his foot on the step and he was saying he wanted to use my toilet. I said ‘you are not coming in,’ and then he had got his shoulder in the door and was pushing, trying to get in. The door was pushing my leg and it was painful,” she complained.
UKIP Chairman Paul Oakden explained that the party member suffers from “prostate problems” and had been “caught short,” while stressing that the 78-year-old man was “mortified” about the incident and wants to apologize to Pinches.
Though the party has apologized, it would not name the perpetrator.
The footage, which was posted on social media, has been handed over to Staffordshire police, who say they are investigating.
The embarrassing incident comes just hours after UKIP was accused of trying to deceive voters by posting a picture of supporters in Bolton purportedly canvassing in Stoke.
A UKIP spokesperson responded by saying: “Fakery be damned. Photo sent to our digital team, they thought it was when the activists got to Stoke, it was in fact when they were about to set off to Stoke.
“Definitely cock-up rather than conspiracy territory,” he said.