The millionaire owner of Wolverhampton Wanderers is joining the UK Independence party, giving a five-figure donation to help the party field around 500 candidates at the next election.

Sir "Union" Jack Hayward had helped to keep the Liberal party financially afloat in the 1970's but has said that he now fully supports the aims of the UK Independence party.

He is one of several businessmen bankrolling the party, including Bruce Robertson, chairman of Trago Mills, a supermarket chain in the south-west of England, and John Langham, head of Dorset firm Langham Industries.