THE UK Independence Party last night predicted it will double its number of Euro-MPs in the coming elections, as it launched its campaign.

The party will unveil about 30 billboards across Merseyside to highlight its anti-European Union stance.

The European elections will be held on Thursday, June 4, and, due to European Union expansion, the North West will have eight seats instead of the current nine after the poll.

Last night, Paul Nuttall, party chairman and the party’s lead candidate in the North West, said the party would double its count of one MEP.

He added: “This week, we have the most important Budget in 50 years.

“The country is desperately short of cash, yet we are still spending £40m a day to be members of the European Union. This is not a General Election when voters elect a government, this is a European election where people can register a protest against the EU,

"So we are asking Labour, Conservative and Liberal Democrat supporters to lend us their vote for this election.

"Apathy is always a problem with elections, but we want to make sure that people realise just how important this particular one is and this week will see our thought provoking billboards going up all over the North West.”