BOLTON’s UKIP leader has welcomed the party’s choice of new leader.

Members voted Henry Bolton as the man to succeed Paul Nuttall at the party’s conference in Torquay, yesterday.

Cllr Sean Hornby, who represents Little Lever and Darcy Lever, said Mr Bolton was a ‘safe pair of hands’ for the party.

He added: “He has an excellent record, he comes from an armed forces background, speaks very well and is very knowledgeable.

“He had our full support as leader.

“The fear was that because there were so many candidates that the vote would be very close, but there was a gap of more than 1,000 votes between him Henry Bolton and Anne Marie Waters. There’s a clear mandate for him to be leader of the party.”