A former Conservative association chairman has quit his party with an extraordinary attack on his local MP.

Clayton Hudson, a south Norfolk councillor, who resigned from the Conservative Party earlier this week, has criticised Richard Bacon, the South Norfolk MP, branding him "useless" and promising to campaign against him being re-elected.

But the MP has rejected the attack, saying Mr Hudson has often criticised local and national Conservatives.

Mr Hudson was the chairman of the South Norfolk Conservative Association - the local organisation of party members - until September last year.

In his letter resigning as a Conservative, Mr Hudon said: "I have concluded I don't want to be a member of the nasty and dishonest party that the Conservatives have become.

Eastern Daily Press: Clayton Hudson, former South Norfolk Conservative Association chairman.Clayton Hudson, former South Norfolk Conservative Association chairman. (Image: Archant)

"I don't want to be in a party with Boris Johnson, Nadine Dorries, Jacob Rees-Mogg, and Richard Bacon, my own MP.

"To that end, I want to become active locally in ending this disgraceful government and our useless MP."

Mr Hudson criticised the MP for supporting Prime Minister Johnson after he received a fine for breaking Coronavirus lockdown rules, argued he had achieved nothing in 21 years of being an MP and was missing from his constituency.

Speaking after handing in his Conservative Party resignation Mr Hudson said he could not have brought himself to "go and bang the drum" in support of Mr Bacon at the next election and now wished to actively campaign against him.

While Mr Hudson accepted that South Norfolk was unlikely to swing its vote, he called for progressive parties to join together to defeat the incumbent.

Mr Hudson said he still considered himself to be a conservative politically and offered praise for other Norfolk MPs.

Mr Hudson highlighted North Norfolk MP Duncan Baker as a "breath of fresh air" who is active locally, in parliament and on social media.

The South Norfolk MP hit back at Mr Hudson's comments saying he was "not interested" in him.

He was chairman for a few months before he threw in the towel.

"He has regularly attacked the conservatives, he attacked the leader of South Norfolk Council, John Fuller, he attacked the PM and he has attacked me.

"I have not responded to him on Twitter where he has said things which are not in accordance with the facts.

"I'm trying to help people in my constituency and people in Ukraine, and now we have these concerns about pylons and I continue to be active on housing - I was in Number 10 only about 10 days ago about the issue.

"I don't want to dignify Mr Hudson with a response."

It is not the first time Mr Bacon has faced criticisms over his constituency duties.

Last year posters were placed around his South Norfolk constituency, accusing him of adopting a low local profile and declaring him "missing".

In January, Mr Bacon insisted he was 'doing his best to make himself available'.