A UKIP general election candidate has been given a £600 fine after failing to provide police with information on an alleged motoring offence.

Southampton Itchen hopeful Kim Rose was fined in his absence for failing to tell police who was driving a Mercedes, which was alleged to have broken the speed limit on a road in Southampton.

Mr Rose, a well-known jeweller and businessman who is standing in the seat for a second time, hit the headlines recently when he faced claims of “bribing” voters with sausage rolls at an event.

Police have decided not to take any further action regarding the claims.

Mr Rose says he had “no knowledge” of the alleged driving offence or his prosecution until he received a letter on Friday saying six points had been added to his driving licence.

He was charged with failing to give information to the police to identify the driver of a Mercedes, who was alleged to have been guilty of speeding on The Avenue on November 18, 2013.

In his absence, Basingstoke Magistrates’ Court found him guilty of the offence on April 8.

He was slapped with a £600 fine and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £60 and costs of £85, as well as having six points added to his driving licence.

Another alleged offence, of driving at more than 30mph on The Avenue in Southampton in a Mercedes with the same number plate on November 18, 2013, was withdrawn.

Mr Rose said he was going to appeal the sentence to appear in court, saying: “I couldn’t have let them know because I didn’t know there had been an alleged offence.

“The paperwork seems to have gone elsewhere and if I had known I would have appeared in court.

“Other people, such as family members and some people who work for me, do drive my car so I need to check and see where I stand. If it was me I will appear.

“I didn’t have any knowledge of this.

“I’m not saying I wasn’t driving, I may well have been.

“I just think six points is a bit much when I didn’t know about it so I’m going to appeal.”

Referring to an incident when he was fined for driving without insurance, having been stopped by police for not wearing a seatbelt, his Conservative opponent Royston Smith said: “I have had my own problems behind the wheel but it is important to be upfront about it from the start.

“The former Eastleigh MP Chris Huhne is an example of what can happen if you are not entirely honest with the police.”

Green Party candidate John Spottiswoode said: “It is worrying when a candidate has this sort of attitude to the law.”

Sue Atkins, the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition candidate, said: “With Kim it’s one thing after another.

“There can be no excuse really, we all have to abide by driving regulations and so if he was fined he has got nobody but himself to blame.”

Liberal Democrat candidate Eleanor Bell and Labour’s Rowenna Davis declined to comment.