COLCHESTER’S community safety boss, Tim Young, is the front runner to fight defector Douglas Carswell to be the Clacton MP.

Mr Young, who leads the labour group on Colchester Council, had already been selected to stand for the party in next year’s General Election.

But despite no official announcement having been made for the by-election, he has received the backing of former Labour MP Ivan Henderson, who represented the area between 1997 and 2005 and was the former constituency’s first ever Labour MP.

Mr Young has remained tight-lipped on the subject, saying he is still waiting for official confirmation, but said he would be excited at the opportunity.

Mr Henderson said: “Tim will bring a lot to the fight.

“He is local and understands the pain people have felt and are feeling.

“He understands the issues of the area, something Carswell has failed to do in his time here.”

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