THE new Conservative prospective Parliamentary candidate for the Bridgwater seat says he is honoured to have been chosen to follow in the footsteps of Tom King.

Ian Liddell-Grainger, aged 41, beat hundreds of applicants for the job of fighting the next election for the Tory party when former Defence Secretary Tom King steps down.

He told the Free Press he was absolutely delighted to be chosen.

"It is quite daunting and a great honour to take over from Tom who is one of the best known MPs in the country. It is also an area I know very well," Mr Liddell-Grainger said.

Born in Edinburgh and educated at Millfield School, near Street, he comes from both a farming and business background and is currently working in land management for the MoD.

He is also the vice-chairman of the Torridge and West Devon Conservative Association and chairman of the Countryside Alliance, in Devon.

However, the most urgent task facing him at the moment is to leave his home in Okehampton and move with his wife Jill and children Peter, aged 12, Sophie, aged 11, and May, aged eight, to a new home in the heart of the constituency.

He said: "I will be working in the area full time and want to get a house as quickly as possible so I can start tackling the problems in the area like the deprivation in the farming industry, concerns about post offices and pensions.

"It is an enormous challenge - it is a very big seat and every piece matters - but I am already having regular meetings with Tom as he is still very much the MP for the area."

Mr King also welcomed Mr Liddell-Grainger's selection from a shortlist of candidates, a vote he won with more than 50 per cent of the ballot.

Mr King told the Free Press: "I think he will be a very good candidate for the constituency .

"He knows the countryside well but also his interests are in industry and tourism and he has a lot of experience for someone who is still quite young."

Mr King added: "He clearly has a lot of energy to offer the constituency."