THE leader of UKIP has revealed the party are gunning for Thurrock following a “breakthrough” in the borough last year.

On Monday, Nigel Farage, the UKIP leader and south east Euro MP,  relaunched a campaign aimed at scrapping the Dartford tolls to free up access into and out of Thurrock.

But behind the scenes, his party are plotting how they can take Thurrock in the next general election after a successful by-election campaign in Eastleigh recently.

The UKIP candidate there came second to the Liberal Democrats and recent polls have shown support for the party has surged.

Speaking EXCLUSIVELY to the Gazette, Mr Farage said UKIP’s anti-Europe stance could appeal to Thurrock’s working families and the constituency’s marginal status could lead to success for his party.

He said: “I do believe Thurrock is somewhere we can be successful. All the evidence suggests that where we can first make a breakthrough in an area, it becomes far easier.

“That breakthrough happened last year (when Robert Ray was elected to Thurrock Council). There is every reason for us to do very well here.

“In marginal areas, third parties often get squeezed out. But what we saw in Eastleigh is that, actually, we can do well in marginal areas.

“Our policies suit people in Thurrock. This whole uncontrollable mass immigration experiment has really impacted on the lives of ordinary working people. It’s a huge issue and Thurrock has a very large number of working families.”

Last Thursday, a UKIP van was roaming the streets of Grays as the group looks to steal a march on its rivals.

Mr Farage also said he would like to see the Dartford tolls scrapped. He spent Monday morning campaigning on an overpass at junction 1A of the M25.

He added: “The last time I protested against the tolls, they were £1. They are now £2. Every argument I’ve made before, I’m making again. There’s not a single good reason for them.

“They are clogging up one of the country’s main roads, it’s blighting the lives of hundreds of thousands of people, causing pollution. It’s also a total breach of promise.

“Originally, in the 1960s, everyone was told that once the crossing was paid for, the tolling would stop. This is just fleecing the motorist.”