An investigation has been launched after a UKIP local election candidate was reported to have claimed the 9/11 attacks were staged by "America" and wearing poppies was akin to “occultism”.

Ummer Farooq, 29, who is standing in Waltham Forest’s William Morris ward in the election next month, is also said to have tweeted that adults in the UK should be armed and the state of Israel created Palestinian Islamist group Hamas.

UKIP chairman for Redbridge and Waltham Forest, Mick McGough, today confirmed the Muslim candidate is being investigated.

According to the Mirror, when approached over the claims, Mr Farooq said he had been “childish” and “aggressive”.

The Guardian is expecting a further statement from UKIP later today.

The party, which wants the UK to leave the European Union, is expected to do well in next month’s European elections.

But it has been recently plagued by negative publicity over the views of some of its members.

Enfield UKIP candidate William Henwood recently tweeted that Lenny Henry should move to a “black country” after the comedian said ethnic minorities were poorly represented on television.

Andre Lampitt, who appeared in a UKIP party election broadcast, was recently accused of posting racist and anti-Islamic remarks and suspended from the party.

The party has insisted it is not racist.