North West MEP Steven Woolfe becomes bookies' favourite to be next UKIP leader

North West MEP Steven Woolfe is the favourite to replace UKIP leader Diane James after she spent just 18 days in charge.

Ms James cited "personal and professional" reasons for her decision, saying that she had not been given sufficient authority to force through changes she wanted to make to the party.

It is also thought that her husband's ill-health and a recent incident in which she was "badly shaken up" after being verbally abused and spat at in a central London street may have played a role in persuading her to step down.

Bookmakers installed North-West England MEP Steven Woolfe - who was barred from standing to replace Mr Farage after handing nomination papers in 17 minutes late - as hot favourite, followed by Suzanne Evans, who missed out on the chance to run because of a suspension which has now been lifted.

Confusion surrounded her position after she suggested in a statement that she had never formally taken up the role of leader after winning a landslide victory in the race to succeed Nigel Farage on September 16.Party sources questioned her claim that the election amounted only to a "nomination" as leader which needed to be registered with the Electoral Commission to be formally confirmed.

Ukip's ruling National Executive Committee is expected to hold an emergency meeting within days to choose an interim leader and agree a timetable for the second leadership election within weeks.

In her brief time as leader, Ms James had not appointed a deputy, so there is no one in place to act as a stand-in while a new election is arranged. Party officials were unable immediately to say who was leading the party.