Ukip leadership hopeful Bill Etheridge in bizarre spat with ‘fiance’ over Viagra post

A Ukip  leadership candidate is embroiled in a sordid row with his former fiancée, who claims he had a Viagra-fuelled affair. 

Bill Etheridge was branded a ‘dirty, disgusting cheat’ by Lorraine Chew in an extraordinary Twitter outburst.

She published a picture of a half-empty packet of Viagra which she said she found in the West Midlands MEP’s car.

Claiming it proved infidelity, the 40-year-old wrote: ‘Somebody is going to be very sorry.’ 

Ukip MEP Bill Etheridge has called in police over the ‘breach of privacy’ and insists he was not unfaithful

The packet for the prescription drug, used to treat erectile dysfunction, carries Mr Etheridge’s name on the prescription label.

Miss Chew wrote: ‘Getting out my fiancé’s car yesterday I find half a box of Viagra. Dirty disgusting cheat – you should be ashamed of yourself. He’s nothing but a liar and will do anything to get what he wants, even backstab his friends.’

Mr Etheridge, 46, denies being unfaithful to Miss Chew. He released a statement last night saying he had reported her to the police for breach of privacy.

His spokesman insisted the engagement was broken off three months ago, although relations had been ‘rekindled’ at some points since. 

Miss Chew, from Wolverhampton, made the salacious allegations on Monday night as Mr Etheridge campaigned to become leader of Ukip.

Last week, in a tweet about Miss Chew, he wrote: ‘Wrong to neglect those you love no matter how important a cause. Time to be mature.’

But Miss Chew responded by saying: ‘Apologised then f***** me over again. Hmmm, can this man ever tell the truth?’

She added: ‘If you have to sneak to do it, lie to cover up, or delete it to avoid being seen, then you probably shouldn’t be doing it.’ 

Miss Chew also began retweeting messages of support for one of his key rivals, Lisa Duffy. 

Lorraine Chew accused Mr Etheridge of being a ‘dirty disgusting cheat’, but later removed the posts from her Twitter feed

In a series of bizarre rants last night, Miss Chew claimed only their wedding had been called off – not their engagement.

She posted pictures of Mr Etheridge at a Ukip conference last month where she claims he introduced her as his fiancée.

Mr Etheridge split from his wife, Star Anderton, last year after a failed attempt to become an MP in Wolverhampton.

The marriage ended after she telephoned her husband during the election count and party worker Miss Chew picked up the phone.

He later became engaged to Miss Chew, before entering the race to succeed former Ukip leader Nigel Farage. 

Last night Mr Etheridge said: ‘This is especially hurtful, as some of the claims made in the original social media post are grossly inaccurate.

‘This is a very personal issue and the posting of this on social media is a serious breach of my privacy. That is why I have reported this to the police.

‘However, if my experience does help to raise awareness and help make normative a treatment for this serious men’s health issue, then I’m happy to speak out.’ 

Lorraine Chew deleted Twitter posts including a photograph of the Viagra tablets

Mr Etheridge added: ‘It is always sad when a relationship breaks down, but I really don’t see how this has any bearing on my ability to lead Ukip.’

He said others in the leadership campaign had used ‘this vengeful post as a weapon’, adding: ‘It smacks of desperation.’

Mr Etheridge is a 50-1 outsider to replace Mr Farage, who stepped down following the Brexit vote, with MEP Diane James the favourite.

The new leader will be named at the party conference in Bournemouth on September 16.  

Nigel Farage announced he would be stepping down as Ukip leader in the wake of the historic Brexit vote in the EU referendum