Another fake UKIP Twitter account has tricked users after someone purporting to be a UKIP MEP tweeted that Islam "must be eradicated from the west".
Marcus Bernasconi, a Labour party activist, tweeted the screenshot above after spotting what he thought was an Islamophobic comment made by a UKIP MEP.
His tweet received over 30 retweets, including from Labour MP Jamie Reed, before Bernasconi deleted it after a member of UKIP's press team informed him it was a fake account.
Stuart Agnew, UKIP MEP for the Eastern Counties, has never had a Twitter account, a spokesman for UKIP told BuzzFeed News. The spokesman refused to comment on the increase of Twitter accounts purporting to be xenophobic or racist UKIP members.
The Twitter account has already been deleted.
The party has recently had to deal with accounts purporting to represent the party in Cheltenham, East London and North London, all apparently attempting to discredit the party with inappropriate tweets.
Stuart Agnew MEP has never had a Twitter account. This is obviously the latest in a long line of fraudulent UKIP accounts.
@jsagnew @DavidJo52951945 @Ironwand "It must be eradicated from the west - there is no place for it here". <---These gaffs are daily now
@jsagnew wants Islam to be "eradicated from the west - no place for it here". It's disgusting to think that he represents our country.
It appears that part of the problem is that people are not shocked or surprised by such tweets from UKIP members and therefore are more easily accepted.
UKIP in bigotry shocker RT/MT @jsagnew [Islam] must be eradicated from the west - there is no place for it here.
Another day, another UKIP mistweet (calling for Islam "to be eradicated from the West), before deleting the account https://t.co/yBOeHpsqwq
Last week, UKIP leader Nigel Farage defended the use of the word "chinky" after a councillor in the party used the phrase, asking: “If you and your mates were going out for a Chinese, what do you say you’re going for?”
Fake Twitter accounts have been a growing problem for the party in the wake of increasing gaffes.
Last month UKIP MEP David Coburn found himself getting mocked after he asked his followers to "please block/report" a parody account called UKIP Trumpton (named after a children's television show).