London, Rajab 24, 1435, May 23, 2014, SPA -- Britain's mainstream parties have been plunged into panic as the UK Independence Party (UKIP) posts strong results in local elections, marking the start of what appears to be a historic challenge to their dominance, dpa reported. The first rumbles of a political "earthquake" promised by UK Independence Party (UKIP) leader Nigel Farage were apparent on Friday, as initial results from local elections showed the party had won more than 100 seats and was likely to win double. It follows unprecedented gains in local polls last year while the party is also predicted to win the European Parliament elections, which also took place on Thursday though the results will not be known until Sunday. UKIP, with its flagship policy of withdrawal from the European Union, now has its sights firmly set on next year's general election: "The UKIP fox is in the Westminster hen house," said Farage. It is the first time a grassroots party has been able to make any serious challenge to the mainstream in a century. -- SPA 18:03 LOCAL TIME 15:03 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/1235779