A second UKIP candidate has found himself at the centre of a storm after a string of controversial messages were revealed.

David Schofield is standing as a UKIP council candidate in Chase ward for the forthcoming Enfield Borough Council election, but in recent text messages sent by him to a current councillor, seen by the Enfield Independent, he states that gay marriage “sickens” people.

In addition, the candidate goes on to describe Enfield North MP Nick de Bois as a “c***”.

He also goes on to say a current female councillor “would do better as a fashion model”, “even underwear” or “a lap dancer”.

UKIP currently has 15 candidates standing in the council elections this month, their highest ever number and nearly double that of the Liberal Democrats.

Mr Schofield, a former Conservative councillor until 2006, said his text messages about a female councillor were meant as a “joke”.

He said: “It was just a light-hearted joke and it was a compliment if anything. If I have caused offence then I do apologise.”

In response to text messages surrounding gay marriage, Mr Schofield said that the matter is one of “personal opinion”.

He added: “In regards to Nick [de Bois], I never had the highest opinion of him and his government. He was elected on a false premise of saving Chase Farm Hospital’s A&E.”

UKIP has already suffered a blow after William Henwood, the party's candidate for Town ward, quit following comments made on social media site Twitter.

The paper has also made contact with Enfield UKIP.