With campaigning for the General Election under way in the Devizes constituency we meet the UK Independence Party's candidate

David Pollitt, the UKIP candidate for the Devizes constituency, says he is just a normal man who wants to be the voice of the people.

The 57-year-old, who lives in Bader Park, Bowerhill, is the first and only UKIP councillor on Wiltshire Council after being elected into the Melksham Central seat in 2013.

The father-of-two has lived in Wiltshire for the past 25 years and this is the first time he has run in a General Election.

Mr Pollitt said: “People have this perception that UKIP is racist. It is not and I’m just an ordinary person who wants to be a voice of the people.

“If elected I will work for the good of the people here in the Devizes constituency, not for Westminster and not for Europe.

“After living in different cities what I love about Wiltshire is the countryside. It is also a great place for children to grow up.”

Mr Pollitt met his Vietnamese wife Khanh in 2005.

The couple married in 2008 in Swindon and have a five-year-old daughter Ellie. Mr Pollitt also has a 21-year-old son, Ben, from a previous relationship.

He said: “My wife was one of reasons I joined UKIP as I found it really unfair that it took a year for her to get a visa but others from Europe can come straight in and get benefits. My wife is also a big supporter of the party.

“It is not that I don’t agree with working with Europe, but we are so focused on it and there is a whole world out there we are missing on.

“I joined the UKIP because I found that I agreed with a lot of what the party was saying.”

Mr Pollitt, who was born in Manchester and grew up in Dorset, said he has always been interested in business and economics.

He said the main issues he would like to tackle if elected are the military rebasing programme in Tidworth, supporting the farming and agriculture committee in the county and increased investment in the NHS.

He said: “By 2020 half the army will be based in the county and we need to look after them all and make sure they are not forgotten about.

“Farming and agriculture is also over-regulated here with rules coming from Brussels. We need to break away from the EU to give farmers more freedom.

“There hasn’t been the investment in the NHS in recent years. With emergency departments failing to meet targets and an ageing population here in Wiltshire there needs to be more focus on our health service. That is why UKIP has pledged to put £3billion more into the NHS.”

Age: 57

Address: Bader Park, Bowerhill, Melksham

Occupation: Own business selling construction equipment parts

Marital status: Married to Khanh, 39, since 2008

Standing in Devizes are: Emma Dawnay (Green); Claire Perry (Conservative); David Pollitt (UKIP); Manda Rigby (Liberal Democrat); Chris Watts (Labour).