ONE of the organisers of an election hustings event has said a Ukip candidate withdrew because of death threats.

Oxford West and Abingdon Prospective Parliamentary Candidate Alan Harris was due to appear at the event organised by the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) in Jericho last night.

But CPRE Oxfordshire director Helen Marshall said Mr Harris informed her he was pulling out after claiming he had received death threats.

She said: “We had an email this morning saying he and a colleague had received death threats and he did not feel it was fair on the other candidates for him to attend.”

Thames Valley Police spokeswoman Charlotte Redman said the force had not received reports about any death threats made against Mr Harris or his colleague.

Earlier this week the Oxford Mail reported that Mr Harris had been accused of homophobia and racism after allegedly writing offensive posts on Facebook.

One of the posts allegedly written by Mr Harris said; “Why cant [sic] I say in my own country bloody black is still a colour and gay [sic] are still queers.”

Ukip Oxfordshire chairman Dr Lee Upcraft said his party believed the images had been faked.

When asked about the alleged death threats, Mr Harris and Banbury Prospective Parliamentary Candidate Dickie Bird both refused to comment.