THE Conservatives have been forced to halt their search for the person they want as their next MP for a key Kent marginal constituency.

Party chiefs in Rochester and Strood have confirmed the selection of their parliamentary hopeful for what will be the new Medway seat is on hold even though around 130 people have applied for the seat.

The constituency acted after it emerged party records, including membership details, were in such a mess that it was unclear who might be eligible to vote.

The decision is a setback for the Conservatives as the Labour-held seat will be a key target at the next general election.

It had been expected the prospective candidate would be in place early to give them a long run-in to a campaign to try and wrestle the seat from Bob Marshall-Andrews.

Keith Ferrin, the association's acting chairman, denied the selection process had been halted following complaints that Central Office had sought to impose its own candidates.

He said: "Recent events have left the association records in something of a mess and it is very difficult to establish who is eligible to vote and it is key that we do know."

Party rules mean that every paid-up member of any association must be allowed to vote for the prospective candidate.

Mr Ferrin, a Kent county councillor, said that about 130 applications had been received and that the next stage would have been to draw up a shortlist of about 15.