ROYAL Mail is paying for 7,000 new leaflets to be printed and delivered in Wycombe for United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) election candidate Christopher Cooke.

The company has agreed to pay up after 7,000 homes got leaflets for Christopher Silcock, the UKIP candidate in Buckingham, instead of Mr Cooke's.

The Royal Mail said it did not know how the mistake had happened but apologised to Mr Cooke and said it would pay for new leaflets to be printed and then delivered yesterday.

General election candidates get a free mail shot which means the postman has to deliver an election leaflet from each of the parties to every house.

Mr Cooke told Midweek: "People in various parts of Wycombe were told to vote for someone in Buckingham which is not very good for my campaign.

"I suppose it may have an effect because people are getting the wrong information. The post office has made a mistake, but we are all human and they are trying to put it right. I can live with it. Life goes on."

A Royal Mail spokesman said: "We have already apologised about the mistake and are working to make sure material is delivered on Monday."