A long serving councillor said he was 'considerably disappointed' to be dropped by his party ahead of the 2015 elections.

Jim Shrimplin, who has stood on Great Yarmouth Borough Council for 36 years, also felt he had been treated with a 'total lack of loyalty' by the town's Conservative Association, after he was not re-selected to stand for the party in May.

Cllr Shrimplin was among a list of candidates keen to represent the Tories next year, but association chiefs said he did not make it through to the final round after interview.

The 80-year-old, who served as a Norfolk County Councillor for 16 years, said: 'I have fought ten elections and won all of them. It's disappointing and it shows, in my opinion, the lack of loyalty which I have always had for the party.'

Cllr Shrimplin represents the Ormesby ward where he lives, and said dozens of people had expressed 'surprise and disgust' at the news.

Association chairman Jennifer Beesley said the party wanted to recruit younger and more active members to represent Yarmouth, but stressed Cllr Shrimplin's age had nothing to do with him not being re-selected.

She said: 'Jim did not get through to the next stage. As far as I'm concerned if you go for an interview for a job, it doesn't mean you're going to get it.

'There's no age in this whatsoever, one of the candidates that's got through is older than Jim.'

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