A WAR of words broke out between Clacton’s UKIP MP and the wife of his Tory neighbour in Harwich.

Baroness Anne Jenkin, whose husband Bernard is MP for Harwich and North Essex, hit out at UKIP’s Douglas Carswell for not attending the Pride in Tendring awards on Friday last week.

While Mr Jenkin spent the evening tweeting photographs and messages of congratulations from Clacton Town Hall, Mr Carswell was in Mansfield.

The Tory defector was opening a new UKIP campaign shop 175 miles away in the Nottinghamshire town, tweeting a photograph of himself cutting the purple ribbon and giving a thumbs-up.

While Baroness Jenkin wasn’t able to attend the Tendring awards ceremony, telling followers a “long debate on 0.7 per cent international development bill” had held her up, she launched an attack on Mr Carswell for his absence.

She tweeted: “@bernardjenkin full of praise for those awarded #PrideofTendring. 

No @DouglasCarswell? Maybe not able to get back from mansfield in time.”

Mr Carswell simply replied: “@Baronessjenkin @bernardjenkin are you trying to stir it?”

He told the Gazette: “I’m disappointed to hear Baroness Jenkin wasn’t in Clacton. I would be delighted to show her around and introduce her to voters any time she would like.”