A former Brexit Party parliamentary candidate says he was not contacted by the Conservative Party to stand down.

William Berry confirmed that he had received no messages or phone calls from the Tories whilst he was a parliamentary candidate in Watford.

It comes after Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage told Channel 4 News that his candidates had received “thousands of phone calls and emails” to withdraw from the election race.

But Mr Berry said he did not have “any evidence to support” that he was contacted by the Tories.

He was forced to stand down in the town after his party announced it would not field any of its candidates in the 317 seats won by the Tories in the 2017 General Election.

Mr Berry said: “The reason I stood down was for the greater good of the country. I don’t know anyone who has been called from the Tory party.

“I know several candidates in Herts, Bedfordshire and the surrounding areas, but from what I am aware no one has been contacted."

However, Mr Farage told the Telegraph that there was something “absolutely rotten at the heart of British politics”.

In a Twitter video posted by Mr Farage, he also claimed that people within NO.10 had gone to “eight senior figures” within the Brexit Party to offer them peerages “and all they had to do was go to Nigel and convince him to stand down in more marginal seats”.

But Mr Farage did not think Prime Minister Boris Johnson was involved.

The Brexit Party leader said on Twitter: “I do not want and I will never have anything to do with this kind of behaviour.”

In a statement Brexit Party Chairman Richard Tice said: "Since our decision to stand down more than half our candidates for the good of this country, we have been dismayed by the behaviour of senior Conservative party figures. Our people have been offered jobs and titles to stand down as candidates on the last day of nominations, as part of a concerted campaign to undermine our party.

“We made a unilateral gesture which should prevent a second referendum and keep Boris Johnson in office. We are proud and grateful that our candidates have resisted these distasteful overtures and stood firm."

The Conservatives have denied claims that any Brexit Party candidates were offered jobs or peerages.

A spokesperson said: “Neither the Conservative Party, nor its officials have offered Brexit Party candidates jobs or peerages.

“We don’t do electoral pacts – our pact is with the British people.”