Tory defector Mark Reckless became the right-wing UK Independence Party’s second elected MP yesterday after he topped the poll in the Rochester and Strood by-election.

Mr Reckless, one of two Tories to defect to Ukip, regained his Kent seat with a majority of 2,920 — a far narrower margin than the party had predicted.

However the result was a further blow to the Tories and Prime Minister David Cameron in particular, who visited the constituency five times during the course of the campaign.