CHARTERED surveyor Martin Lyon is contesting New Forest West for the UK Independence Party.

Mr Lyon, 44, has worked for several organisations, including Hampshire County Council, IBM, Southern Water and Savills, plus local construction companies.

In his youth he played Under-19 rugby for top London club Saracens as well as football, cricket, squash and badminton.

He and his wife and their four children have enjoyed camping and caravanning holidays in the New Forest for many years.

Mr Lyon criticised what he described as virtually uncontrolled immigration and the constant interference of the European Union in almost every aspect of people's lives.

"About 75 per cent of UK laws and regulations now come direct from Brussels to be enforced by our government departments," he said.

"Some 3,000 local post offices have closed because the EU ended the Government's subsidy to them, foreign criminals can't be deported owing to the EU's Convention on Human Rights, and rubbish collections have been reduced to once a fortnight in 68 council areas owing to the EU's compulsory recycling targets, risking outbreaks of disease.

"Now the EU is to abolish all the remaining controls on the movement of pets, which will spread rabies here from the European continent."