The Conservative candidate who defeated Nigel Farage in the 2015 general election has been charged over allegations relating to his election expenses.
The Crown Prosecution Service said Craig Mackinlay, 50, and two Conservative campaigners - election agent Nathan Gray, 28, and party organiser Marion Little, 62 - had been charged with offences under the Representation of the People Act 1983.
A spokesman for Mackinlay - who won South Thanet for the Conservatives - declined to comment but in a statement the party said it believed the allegations were unfounded and that all three had done nothing wrong.
Last month the CPS announced it would not be taking action against any other Conservative MPs or officials over allegations of irregularities in relation to expenses incurred by the party's 2015 battlebus tour.
Commenting on the announcement British Prime Minister Theresa May said: "The Conservative party continues to believe that these allegations are unfounded.
"Craig Mackinlay is innocent until proven guilty and he remains our candidate."
Mr Mackinlay has described the allegations against him as "shocking", adding "I've done nothing wrong and I am confident that this will be made very clear as the matter progresses."
Meanwhile, Mrs May's lead over the Labour Party has shrunk to five points from 15 points just over two weeks ago, an opinion poll from Ipsos MORI suggests.
With less than a week to go before the election, the poll showed the Conservatives' share of the vote had fallen to 45%, down four percentage points since the previous poll published on 18 May.
Labour's share of the vote increased six points to 40%, according to the poll which was published by the London Evening Standard newspaper.
The poll is the latest to show a narrowing lead for Mrs May.
A YouGov opinion poll on Wednesday showed the Conservatives' lead had fallen to a fresh low of three points.
A failure to win the election with a large majority would weaken Mrs May's position just as formal Brexit talks are due to begin, while the loss of her majority in parliament would pitch British politics into turmoil.
