UKIP has joined the Green Party in putting a candidate forward in a council by-election with under three weeks to go.

The pro-Brexit party has announced Jonathan Seymour as its candidate for the Roding by-election on May 5, after Conservative Councillor Sarah Blaber resigned.

Mr Seymour has lived in Barkingside for 33 years and has been a licensed London taxi driver for over 35 years.

He said: “Roding seems like a very nice place to live and also very clean, despite what is being said about pollution levels.

“One thing I would do if elected would be to relocate the tip in Chigwell Road and turn it into housing.

“That way we would reduce pollution at Charlie Brown’s Roundabout by getting rid of all those trucks going to the tip and address the lack of social housing.”

On the lack of primary school places in South Woodford, the UKIP candidate said he is against building or expanding existing schools.

He said: “Our council doesn’t have the money to build more schools, and expanding them would mean shutting them down for a while, which would only create further problems.”

He explained that if elected he would ask schools to reconsider admission refusals on an individual basis.

Mr Seymour would also ensure a greater police presence to tackle the recent rise in burglaries and strive to find sites outside the ward to tackle Redbridge’s housing crisis.

He added: “I would represent every constituent in Roding, even those who didn’t vote for me.

“When I phoned by own councillors they have ignored me, so I would never dream of ignoring anyone.”

Jonathan Seymour will go up against Rich Clare, Ruth Clark, Lloyd Duddridge, and Barry Cooper in the Roding by-election on May 5.