A row has broken out after an election candidate compared commuter trains to concentration camps.

Dr James Chamberlain-Webber, who is standing as the UK Independence Party Candidate in the Brighton Kemptown constituency, made the remark while describing his reasons for standing for in the election.

Referring to over-crowded commuter trains, Dr Chamberlain-Webber said: “It is worse than cattle trucks going into concentration camps.”

Click here for our dedicated election section.

Click here for profile of the Brighton Kemptown constituency and candidates.

Sussex Jewish Representatives Council said the “insensitive” comment would offend a large number of Jewish voters in the city.

Executive member of the council Jessica Rosethal said: “I think generally speaking it is worrying if election candidates are saying things without thinking about them. He should really think about what he says before he says it.

“It will certainly offend members of the Jewish community and I’m sure it will lose him votes.”

But a party spokesman brushed the concerns of Jewish community leaders aside, suggesting it was a case of political correctness gone mad.

UKIP South East spokesman Alan Kebble, who is standing as a candidate in one of the Southampton constituencies said: “The fact that you can’t make a comment like that without someone jumping up and down really beggars belief.

“I am campaigning against this kind of puritanical corruption, what you might call political correctness.

“We are not against Jewish people.”

He added: “We are very concerned about train over crowding, but he should probably not have used that expression. We do support giving asylum to people who need help.

“Overcrowding on trains is something UKIP are keen on tackling.”

Brighton and Hove is home to the UK’s fifth largest population of Jewish people.

According to the 2001 Census, 0.6% of the 84,775 residents in the Kemptown constituency are Jewish.