A former Ukip candidate has linked the devastation wreaked by Storm Desmond with the arrival of Syrian refugees in Britain.

Stephen Poulter, who claims to be one of the Eurosceptic party’s first members and unsuccessfully stood in this year’s local elections in Basingstoke, Hampshire, has a photo with Nigel Farage as his Facebook profile picture.

He had called for support for affected families on the social networking site before musing on the possible cause of flooding in northern England and Scotland.

“Now, I am not religious in any way. But it seems funny that the so called refugees have been sent up north from the Syrian Camps,” Mr Poulter wrote on Facebook.

“Is’nt it funny that as soon as they do. The floods start up that way. I wonder????? (sic)”