Nigel Farage: I'm hacked off

The leader of the UK Independence Party, Nigel Farage, has said he's "hacked off" by comments that one of his most outspoken members made about women.

The MEP Godfrey Bloom was suspended after saying a group of female activists were "sluts".

Speaking to the Today programme, Mr Farage said the remarks had distracted from the party's attempts to announce new policies.

"I want us to be a party of free thinking. I want us to push the boundaries of debate, and we've been good at that on several issues, that's actually moved on and changed the national agenda.

"But, at the same time, I don't want people saying things that are deeply offensive and take the message away from where it needs to be.

"Mr Bloom has been, over the course of this summer, doing his best to garner as many headlines as possible. I think he thinks it's all a big joke," the UKIP leader added.

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4's Today programme on Saturday 21 September 2013.