Reform UK says two senior officials have stepped down during a party investigation into claims about funding aired during a Channel 4 News report.

Nigel Farage’s senior aide Dan Jukes and Reform’s head of policy James Orr have both stood down pending the outcome of the internal probe, the party said.

A Reform UK spokesman said: “The party believes it is important that the investigation is allowed to proceed independently and without prejudice.

“No further comment will be made while the investigation is ongoing.”

In the Channel 4 report, which aired on Thursday night, undercover filming showed Dukes suggesting a way to get around electoral law to secure a foreign donation of £500,000 for the party.

Electoral law sets out that to be a permissible donor to a UK political party you must be a UK registered voter, or a company registered in the UK.

In this instance, the son would be a permissible donor, his father would not be.

The undercover filming was carried out by a group called Verbatim Investigations, which was founded by journalists from the Centre for Climate Reporting. Channel 4 News say they have verified the material they were given and chose to broadcast.

Reform has denied any wrongdoing and said it had “been the target of a hoax perpetuated by foreign funded climate change activists”.