Farage avoids police investigation over alleged electoral law breach

Essex force says report is outside time limit for prosecution, while Electoral Commission says it has not found any undeclared spending

Nigel Farage has avoided investigation over claims his general election campaign breached electoral law last year - in part because too much time has passed since the alleged offences.

The Reform UK leader was told on Thursday that Essex police could not open an investigation because it was now time-barred, more than a year having passed since any alleged offence. The Electoral Commission, which had been asked to open a separate inquiry into other elements, said it had not identified any undeclared spending that should have been reported.