Ann Widdecombe says she was "extremely sad" to step down as president of Maidstone and The Weald Conservative Association but had to stand for The Brexit Party.

The former conservative MP for the area was president of the association for 19 years since retiring in 2010.

However, despite almost two decades of heading the organisation, she has been forced to resign after deciding to stand in next month's European elections for Nigel Farage's newly formed Brexit Party.

"Obviously I'm extremely sad to have had to resign as president but I wasn't going to embarrass them," she said.

"I'm sad but it was an inevitable part of my standing for a completely different party.

While Miss Widdecombe has only been on the campaign trail for a few days she insists it's "going very, very well."

Despite her bid for a seat in Brussels, the politician says she is still committed to voting Conservative in the local elections on Thursday, May 2.

Andrea Thorpe, Maidstone and The Weald Conservative Association's chairman said: "Because she's been expelled centrally she has offered her resignation.

"As far as I was concerned we were happy to keep her as president but she can't be in two parties at once and now she is standing as a candidate for the Brexiteers.

"It's hugely disappointing. She's been very popular in Maidstone and very helpful to us - she's done a lot of speaking at coffee morning and fundraising events - but she has made her choice and regrettably we have got to accept it and accept her resignation. "

Miss Widdecombe represented Maidstone in parliament for 23 years.

As a reward she was granted the privilege of being a Freeman of the Borough in 2007 - two decades after assuming the role.

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