A Jewish Ukip candidate branded his party's National Executive Committee "idiots" after the policy on kosher slaughter was reversed for the fourth time.

Jeremy Zeid, Ukip's parliamentary candidate for Hendon, attacked the NEC after it voted 6:5 for a ban on the non-stun slaughter of animals on Monday.

Mr Zeid, who previously said he would step down if Ukip threatened shechita, said: "They're idiots. They're all for fox-hunting, but not shechita. I don't think they've thought this through."

He added that Ukip leader Nigel Farage supported "kosher slaughter" and was unhappy with the NEC vote.

The ban "is not going to become party policy, it's not going to be in the manifesto. That's what I've been told", he said.

Ukip agricultural spokesman, Stuart Agnew, delivered a presentation backing religious slaughter ahead of the vote. On Tuesday, he told the JC he was unaware of the result. He said: "I have no idea what it is, but fingers crossed."

He added: "The way Jewish people kill their animals isn't bad at all. If we all treated our animals the same way as Jews, we wouldn't need the RSPCA."