ONE of Southampton's most colourful characters is standing for the United Kingdom Independence Party in the city - but he very nearly didn't.

Flamboyant businessman Kim Rose, pictured above, manager of Eclipse Jewellers in Southampton's city centre, decided yesterday morning to withdraw his nomination to take part in the general election as a candidate for the city's Itchen seat - then promptly changed his mind again in the afternoon.

Mr Rose initially told the Daily Echo that he had decided not to stand because nobody on the doorstep was listening to UKIP's message about the threat of being ruled by Brussels.

However, after a frantic phone call from UKIP's campaign director David Lott, Mr Rose had another change of heart and handed his nomination form into the Civic Centre with just ten minutes to go before nominations officially closed.

Mr Rose said: "I decided to stand at the last minute.

"There is something in the air which makes you want to have another go.

"It was a mad dash to get there in time. There are only four main candidates in Itchen.

"At the end of the day, there is no difference between the other parties."

Mr Rose once stood in the General Election as a candidate for the Socialist Labour Party which was launched by former mine workers leader Arthur Scargill.

Last year, he invited headline grabbing Rebecca Loos to help him launch his own range of jewellery in Southampton.

The year before, he offered to refund the price of diamond rings bought in his store if Saints won the FA Cup standing to lose £100,000 if he lost his bet.

Mr Lott explained that Mr Rose had probably got cold feet about standing in the election.

He said: "I suspect that like some people on days like today, when they are actually faced with it they think should I be really doing this."

For more local news from the 2005 General Election campaign see pages 8 & 9 of today's Daily Echo.