HIV: UKIP'S CANDIDATE PATRICIA CULLIGAN APOLOGISES FOR HER TWEET ON HIV

(UKIP) United Kingdom Independence Party's candidate in the general elections, Patricia Culligan has apologised after her tweet in which she appears to question the cost to National Health Service (NHS) of treating British people with HIV.

In the tweet, Patricia, East Leigh candidate claimed a Liberal democrat standing in another seat " deliberately became HIV positive yet  free NHS care v costly"

She seemed to be talking about Paul Childs, a candidate in Liverpool Riverside who declared last week he was HIV positive.

Patricia deleted her tweet after UKIP was contacted by BBC. 

The party in a statement said, "we wholeheartedly support the NHS being free at point of access and kept publicly funded."

Patricia in a follow up tweet said she "sincerely" apologised for "any totally unintended offence", saying she misread an article about Paul Childs in Mail Online.