A former Tory county councillor who was forced to quit after it emerged he was involved with a far right group is to stand as an independent candidate in the forthcoming council election.

Andy Weatherhead stood as an independent in the recent Kent County Council by-election that was triggered when he was sacked as the Conservative county councillor for the Hythe West division.

It followed allegations published by the Hope not Hate campaign group about his involvement with fascist group New British Union (NBU) before he became a county councillor.

He apologised and claimed his involvement was in the interest of “research” and to “try and learn more”.

Images were unearthed of him wearing a Blackshirt uniform and attending NBU events.

Reacting to the disclosures, he said: "I was associated with that group for about eight months - I was not even a member of anything, there was no formal membership. It was a stupid mistake which I deeply regret, but I am not going to let eight months define my whole life.”

In a statement at the time, he said: "I now look back on my actions during that period with regret and personal disappointment in my then poor judgemental choices at that time.

"By re-entering mainstream politics as I did in 2014, I turned my back on fringe politics, having seen it for what it truly was."

Kent County Council Conservative leader Cllr Roger Gough sacked him swiftly, saying that he [Weatherhead] did not represent the values of the Conservative party.

Despite receiving the lowest number of votes cast in a subsequent by-election for the county council, he is to have another tilt at election.

He is among candidates nominated for Romney Marsh ward, listed as an independent, to run for Folkestone and Hythe District Council.

The ward is currently held by the Conservatives.

Among the other candidates standing is Jenni Hawkins, the Green party candidate who won the recent KCC by-election for Hythe West, ousting Mr Weatherhead.

Speaking to KentOnline, Mr Weatherhead said: "The problem is do I sit in a corner and shrivel up and die? Or do I say 10 years ago I made a mistake?

"Am I going to let eight months of stupidity completely and utterly dominate the rest of my life and whatever else I've done in my life, the answer is no.

"So at what point do you actually say you'd like to be forgiven, because that's not the right word... but set aside things."