A UKIP leader in Oxfordshire has paid tribute to Nigel Farage's "fantastic" leadership after the politician announced his resignation.

Dickie Bird, a senior figure in the party's local branch, said Mr Farage deserved a rest after playing a major role in the campaign for Britain to quit the European Union (EU) since his party's formation in 1993.

In a statement to the media this morning, the party leader said he had achieved his aim in politics and added: "I want my life back."

Mr Bird said: "He has led us to independence and has done a fantastic job. Now I think he is tired.

"It is always disappointing when you lose someone of Nigel's quality, but now the party must move on.

Witney Gazette:

  • Dickie Bird, a senior member of UKIP in Oxfordshire, praised Mr Farage's "fantastic" leadership.

"As to who will take over, I can't comment. There are some interesting characters though and I hope they will come forward."

He said local members of UKIP (United Kingdom Independence Party) would be meeting in the coming weeks to plot a course forward after the country backed 'Brexit' in the June 23 referendum.

Mr Bird added: "The party has grown over the years from being focused on just a single issue.

"No one knows what our involvement will be in what comes next, but the Government has received the biggest mandate ever from the British people and it is now up to them to push this through."

Mr Farage said his political career since first standing for Ukip in the Eastleigh by-election of 1994 had been "a long journey, not at every stage of the way an easy one, although most of it, I have to say, has been tremendous fun".

He added: "Tough though it's been at times, it's all certainly been worth it.

"I came into politics from business because I believed that this nation should be self-governing. I have never been and I have never wanted to be a career politician.

"My aim in being in politics was to get Britain out of the European Union. That is what we voted for in that referendum two weeks ago, and that is why I now feel that I've done my bit, that I couldn't possibly achieve more than we managed to get in that referendum."