https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c727xz2kkgjo

Reform UK has dropped three of its candidates following reports they had made offensive or racist comments, a spokesman has said.

Edward Oakenfull, who is standing in Derbyshire Dales; Robert Lomas, a candidate in Barnsley North, and Leslie Lilley, standing in Southend East and Rochford, will still appear on the ballot paper as Reform candidates as it is too late for them to be removed.

A Reform spokesman said if any of the three were elected they would sit as independent MPs.

However, he said people should still vote for the candidates if they wished to register support for Reform.

It comes after leader Nigel Farage disowned the candidates during an appearance on BBC Question Time on Friday evening, when their remarks were put to him.

Mr Farage told the programme: "I want nothing to do with them."

Asked what Reform would say to voters in the constituencies where the candidates had been dropped, the party spokesman said he would “encourage them to vote for the party, by voting for these people on the ballot paper".

This way, he said people could still vote for Reform's "policy platform".

He added: "I’m not saying the situation is ideal, but the size of the Reform vote share nationally is what matters."