Ukip leader defends Robinson as adviser

Ukip leader Gerard Batten has defended his decision to appoint far-right activist Tommy Robinson as an adviser, after the move was branded appalling by his predecessor, Nigel Farage. Mr Farage accused Mr Batten of taking the Eurosceptic party in a “shameful” direction and called for him to be ousted as leader. But Mr Batten denied that he was taking Ukip to the extremes and offering a welcome to racists. He said Mr Robinson – real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon – would help him turn Ukip into a “mass movement ... a party for ordinary people”. A chief constable has admitted the service his force is providing the public is “nowhere near where it needs to be” and blamed austeritydriven budget cuts. Cleveland Police chief Mike Veale spoke out about the lack of resources they must cope with. And he urged the Government to help, saying: “My message is clear; give us the tools and we will do the job.” He was speaking after a BBC story showed that Hartlepool – a town within the Cleveland force area – has to manage with 10 patrol officers for a population of 90,000. Cameroon’s military says it has killed at least 43 armed separatists fighting for the creation of an Englishspeaking state in the Central African nation. Troops have destroyed at least three camps in several operations since Thursday in Bali village in the Mezam administrative area and Abu village in Fundong, in the North West region, said General Agha Robinson. The military seized a huge consignment of guns, ammunition, machetes, motorcycles and drugs, he said.