A former Mayor of Hyndburn has joined the ranks of United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) candidates at May’s local elections.

Veteran Malcolm Pritchard has previously served as both a Labour and Independent councillor on Hyndburn council, but has now pledged his allegiance to UKIP.

Mr Pritchard has thrown his hat in the ring for the Milnshaw ward, a seat which he lost in 2011 to Labour just after completing his term as Mayor.

Mr Pritchard, of Moss Hall Road, Accrington, said he had joined UKIP to stop ‘rumours and lies’ about him being a ‘closet Conservative’.

He said he would have liked to have stood for the Independent group, but with its prospects in doubt decided to turn to UKIP instead.

Great Harwood Independent councillor Ian Robinson has already declared he will be running for UKIP, while Independent group leader Nick Collingridge has admitted he is uncertain of the group’s future after the elections on May 22.

Mr Pritchard said he backed UKIP’s flagship policy of leaving the European Union.

He said: “Some of their policies I agree with, and some I don’t. It’s like anything. I agree with what they say about coming out of Europe.

“I think a lot of people nowadays are fed up with the two main parties of Labour and the Conservatives and at the next election there will be a protest vote.

“I reckon UKIP could get maybe two or three seats on the council this time. Hopefully it will be a good clean fight.”

Mr Pritchard’s announcement comes less than a year after he was unseated in the county council elections by daughter Clare, a stalwart of Hyndburn’s Labour group.

In the wake of the defeat in Accrington North he told the Observer she had “dishonoured” the family by standing against him and put politics before family.

He represented the Milnshaw ward in Accrington as a Labour councillor from 2002 before quitting to become an Independent in 2007, citing differences with then group leader Graham Jones.