A WAR of silence has broken out between a Warrington Euro-MP and euro-sceptics after a series of debates descended into a bitter slanging match.

Chris Davies MEP and members of the UK Independence Party clashed at a number of public debates over Europe, with both sides claiming victory after the meetings.

But this week, the UK Independence Party pulled out of any further debates with the Euro-MP after he described them as "nutters".

Mr Davies claims that more debates were planned in Warrington, but that the UKIP was not prepared to meet him on his own turf because they were "running scared" after being beaten in previous arguments.

He said: "The party is behaving like a schoolyard bully. Its members send out a constant flow of lies and distortions about the European Union, but as soon as someone has the courage to stand up to them, the UKIP runs away. I would have welcomed an early debate in Warrington."

But the UKIP claims it had only agreed to debates in Liverpool, Colne, and the Wirral, and that Mr Davies has made the rest up.

Spokesman Val Cowell said the UKIP saw no point in further debating the issues with Mr Davies because he had descended to comments unworthy of any serious politician.

"We can assure Chris Davies and the people of the North West that we are always prepared to enter into rational arguments about the cost of British membership of the EU - but he will find that, unlike him, we do not descend to abusing our opponents as 'nutters'."

The party also accused Mr Davies of attempting to bribe local journalists with free trips to Strasbourg at the expense of taxpayers.

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