THE Conservatives have extended their lead over Ukip in Castle Point ahead of next week’s election, according to a poll.

The Lord Ashcroft poll, published this afternoon, puts Tory candidate Rebecca Harris ahead of her rivals with 41 per cent support.

Ukip’s Jamie Huntman is in second place, with 36 per cent, according to the poll, which is based on interviews with 1,000 constituents between April 15 and 24.

The series of polls have focused on marginal seats across the country in the run-up to the General Election.

In February, a Lord Ashcroft poll placed Mrs Harris on 37 per cent, only one per cent ahead of Mr Huntman.

The former peer said: “My latest round of constituency polling covers four seats in which I have previously found Ukip to be doing well.

“In all cases I have found the Ukip share down, and in two of the four they have fallen from second to third.

“In Castle Point, the Conservatives have extended their lead over Ukip from one to five points since February.”

In today's poll, Labour’s Joe Cooke was third with 12 per cent, the Green Party’s Dom Ellis had three per cent and Liberal Democrat Sereena Davey had two per cent.