A PUBLIC meeting by UKIP's Warrington branch has been labelled as a 'fiasco' by its own chairman.

The meeting, which took place at the Rodney pub, on Winwick Road, last Thursday, took place just days before the party announced it is putting forward candidates for both seats in the town.

During the night, attendees were asked if they were interested in standing as a councillor across the town, with 13 wards believed to be covered by the party.

"UKIP, locally, are trying to find a happy medium where we can reach as many people as possible, therefore we have decided to go around to different venues," said chairman, Michael Johnson.

"We were told it was quiet and when we arrived people were already there so we could not cancel it so we tried to make something of it.

"More people came in the pub and it started getting quite loud - you can't be in a venue if you have not got a spare room, it was a bit of a fiasco.

"I went to each person who attended after the meeting to apologise and we agreed that this would not happen again."

One attendee, who was highly critical of the meeting, was Kieran Reed - a voter who will be backing Labour come May 7.

"It was a shambles - they said anyone could represent them and they said they would be using Nottingham UKIP's policy - it is insulting to the people of Warrington," said the 31-year-old, from Widnes.

"The first 15-20 minutes were ok and quite quiet but then it got louder and louder. It was like a Dad's Army set-up or something out of the Vicar of Dibley - people had to lean over the table to speak.

"I think it was thrown together at the last minute, there was just no organisation at all.

"These people are living on cloud cuckoo land and don't live in the real world and that is why I will always vote Labour."

Mr Johnson denied claims that the policy from the party's Nottingham branch was used and ensured future meetings will take place in a private function room.

"We have used the same agenda for approximately two years - if another UKIP branch has a similar agenda that's just coincidence," he added.

"However with regards to to having a meeting policy that is taken from another branch that does surprise me as we don't actually have a meeting policy."

UKIP's next meeting will take place at Rylands Recreational Club, on Gorsey Lane, at 7.30pm on February 19.