BE afraid. Be very afraid. UKIP is heading for triumph in the European elections on May 22.

Success for the party amounts to handing the keys of the playground to someone only interested in vandalising the equipment.

We know UKIP is intent on turning its back on the European parliament rather than working within it. This standing on the pitch with folded arms just leaves an open goal where there should be players defending and promoting the interests of team GB. There is a supreme lack of logic about sending Euro sceptics to allegedly “work” in an organisation in which they have no faith.

Worse still, UKIP MEPs are in the wrong place for what they want to achieve: the power to pull us out of the EU lies in Westminster, not Brussels.

So it must have been frustrating for Nigel Farage – how does he cope with such a French sounding name? – to be without a single seat in our own parliament.

Support for UKIP in the Euro elections last time around withered when it came to elections for Westminster, where the party scored nul points. And the party’s leader has decided against personally throwing his trilby into the ring for the parliamentary by-election battle coming up in Newark.

Meanwhile, a blizzard of embarrassing stories about UKIP candidates seems to do nothing to dent the popularity of non-stick Nigel. Booting out candidates with views insulting national treasures such as Lenny Henry – a party candidate suggested he should “go and live in a black country” – may limit the damage, but the ability of the party to roll with punches resulting from the exposure of the mad, bad and dangerous to know in its ranks, is extraordinary. All parties suffer from the occasional rotten apple, but UKIP appears to have its own orchard.

I don’t doubt that there are worthy and decent UKIP supporters and candidates, but it must be a worry that the party attracts more than its fair share of people who are neither.

Europe needs reform, greater transparency, and to be less remote, but it would be a mistake to throw the EU out with the Farage bath water. A CBI survey showed 78 per cent of businesses want us to stay in and benefit from free access to a single market of 500 million people. Jobs are on the line.

UKIP won’t tell you that businesses started by migrant entrepreneurs have created four million jobs and employ one in seven of all British people in employment. When the party’s MEPs have bothered to turn up for their highly-paid work in recent months they have voted against: l Updated rules on cab design which would make it easier for lorry drivers to spot cyclists.

l Tackling money laundering l Greater protection for package holidaymakers UKIP has done us one favour – issues about Europe have for too long been stuffed in a cupboard under the stairs, now at least they are on the table.

When PM David Cameron and Labour leader Ed Milliband ran away from the televised debate they did themselves and us no favours.

Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg deserves credit for showing the courage to tackle issues over Europe.

Victory in the polls was given to Nigel – if the vote goes the same way on May 22 we will all be taking a holiday in heartbreak hotel.