A UKIP MEP who quit his party's frontbench in a row over the 'veil ban' policy has ruled himself out of standing at the General Election.

James Carver, who is based in Worcester, says he will not be putting himself forward for the snap June 8 poll.

The decision is another blow for UKIP leader Paul Nuttall, who is struggling to field candidates across the country after last week's dismal local election showing.

The deadline for getting names in place for the General Election is tomorrow, with the party still to announce hopefuls for most of Worcestershire's seats apart from Redditch and Worcester. 

Mr Carver was widely seen as one of the party's rising stars, but quit as UKIP Foreign Affairs and Commonwealth spokesman last month due to the controversial veil ban manifesto pledge.

The UKIP manifesto calls for the full-face veil to be banned in Britain, as part of a wider 'integration strategy'.

Mr Carver was considering standing in Worcestershire to become an MP, but yesterday said he wanted to focus on Brexit as an MEP instead.

"After much consideration, I've decided the best way I can represent my constituents during the Brexit process is by continuing to be an active MEP," he said.

"That's where, of course, all MEPs will have the final say in a vote following the conclusion of the Brexit negotiations.

"My recent resignation from the UKIP front bench, over a matter of conscience, affords me greater time and flexibility to better support UKIP candidates standing across the region that I represent.

"I look forward to playing an active part in the election campaign, on that basis."

UKIP's Paul Swansborough is standing for the party in Redditch, but elsewhere the selection process has been fraught with problems.

Party officials confirmed on Monday night that Paul Hickling, the Worcester branch secretary, will fight the city seat.

He said: "It’s an honour to be selected to represent UKIP Worcester in the up and coming snap General Election.

"I thank the branch committee for their support, especially James Goad (the 2015 candidate) for his political insight and guidance over the last two years.

"As a true Brexiteer, I will not allow the Brexit for which we voted during the referendum, to be watered down by those who came late to the game and switched sides.

"If elected to Westminster, I will fight to ensure the people of Worcester have another option to the established parties' way of doing things, post-Brexit.”

Last week's local election results saw the party lose 114 councillors nationwide, securing just one seat in a brutal public verdict.

The party's election vote share plummeted from a high of 22 per cent to just five per cent last week.

At Worcestershire County Council the party lost two seats, leaving it without a single councillor.

Mr Nuttall has tried to hit back by pledging to reduce net migration to zero within five years, including a complete ban on "unskilled" arrivals.