A FACTORY owner will contest the St Helens North seat for Ukip in May’s general election.

Ian Smith, who grew up on Albion Street, will contest the seat which has been held by the outgoing Labour MP Dave Watts since 1997.

Ian will go up against Northern Irishman Conor McGinn who was announced last week as the Labour prospective parliamentary candidate for the seat, overcoming challenges from Councillor Andy Bowden and council leader Barrie Grunewald.

Former RAF officer Paul Richardson will contest the seat for the Conservatives and Denise Aspinall will stand for the Liberal Democrats.

Elizabeth Ward, of the Greens, is the other confirmed prospective parliamentary candidate so far.

Ian, 67, was born and bred in the town and attended Central Modern Senior School before going to St Helens Technical College.

He is the son of a coal miner and National Union of Miners’ activist and started work at Fibreglass as an apprentice plumber.

Ian now owns his own factory with 40 employees, including apprentices and describes himself as a married, self-made man who comes from a family of staunch Labour supporters and believes the party has lost touch with its traditional roots.

Ian has pledged that he wants to see factories built in the town and will support any campaign for to open a full A&E department at Peasley Cross Hospital.

Ukip, who finished second overall in the number of votes in St Helens during last year’s local elections, are expected to mount a strong challenge for both St Helens seats, with former mayor John Beirne to stand for the party in St Helens South.

The party became the first outside of Labour and the Conservatives in more than a century to win a national election when they topped the poll in the European elections last May.