Ukip Hillsborough row: Duo quit party over 'crass insensitivity'
Two senior Ukip officials have quit the party because of "crass insensitivity" from its leader and most significant backer over the Hillsborough tragedy.
The officials from Liverpool said comments from Paul Nuttall and financier Arron Banks had been "upsetting and intolerable" for the families of the 96 disaster victims.
Mr Nuttall became embroiled in the row in the build-up to his challenge of the Stoke-on-Trent Central by-election after apologising for claiming he lost "close personal friends" in the 1989 football disaster.
He later said the statement on his personal website was false and had not been written by him.
Mr Banks caused further anger when he said he was "sick to death" of hearing about Hillsborough.
He accused critics of Mr Nuttall of "milking" the disaster for political purposes.
The two departing officials - Stuart Monkcom, the chairman of Mr Nuttall's own branch in Liverpool, and Adam Heatherington, chairman of the Merseyside regional branch - recognised the timing of their resignations was politically "unfortunate".
But the pair said they identified "most strongly with all the good people of Liverpool" as they condemned the party's "unprofessional approach".