UKIP’s newly appointed candidate for Brent North has been lambasted by rival candidates and gay rights supporters after it emerged he was due to speak at a “gay cure” event.

Alan Craig was branded a “bigot” by a rival candidate after it was revealed he would speak at the “Transformation Potential” conference held at the Emmanuel centre in Westminster on Tuesday.

The gathering is billed as an “event exploring unwanted same-sex attractions” and poses the question “Is change possible?” for those experiencing homosexual feelings.

Mr Craig, an outspoken critic of gay marriage and formerly the leader of the Christian Peoples Alliance, was selected as a last minute replacement for UKIP candidate Martin Ferguson last week.

He was due to appear alongside Christian activists at the panel event to discuss the topic of “resisting indoctrination” in the context of “reframing the debate” and responding “biblicially, pastorally, culturally and scientifically”.

Conservative candidate for Brent North Luke Parker joked: “I wonder if there’s aversion therapy that can stop you being a bigot.”

“If there is, maybe we can set it up so every time someone looks at a UKIP leaflet, they get an electric shock.”

Mr Craig joined UKIP in October 2014 and stood as a London Mayoral candidate in 2008 as the “Christian choice” candidate.

He courted criticism in 2011 for likening gay rights protestors to Nazi storm-troopers, referring to them as the “Gaystapo”.