WALES’ newly-elected Ukip MEP has admitted his family employed staff from Eastern Europe and the Philippines.

Nathan Gill’s family business, based in Hull, was a residential care home which looked after people in their own homes and provided domiciliary care.

He said he employed no “more than a couple of dozen overseas staff from over 180 employees” from abroad and secured appropriate work permits for them when he did so.

Mr Gill said he was unsure of “precise figures” because they were employed “many years ago” and recruitment and training was not his responsibility.

He said: “We had a high turnover of staff, as caring is a very demanding career. We ended up having to employ carers from the Philippines, and did this by acquiring appropriate work permits.”

The family business closed down in 2008 when HSBC ended its overdraft facility, he said.

Mr Gill was elected as an MEP in last month’s European elections - his party stood on an anti-immigration and anti-Europe platform. His party came second to Labour in Wales, winning 201,983 votes and 27.55 per cent of the vote, to Labour’s 28.15 per cent.