PARLIAMENTARY candidate for Hyndburn Hugh Neil, above, faces a de-selection meeting in the New Year after refusing to resign.

His deadline to quit ran out at 10am today.

Hyndburn Conservative Association is now calling a special meeting to ballot members on a motion to ditch him as prospective candidate.

A letter from Mr Neil has been hand-delivered to the home of Association chairman Miss Win Frankland.

In it Mr Neil says he will not be resigning.

Mr Neil was given a week to bow out after the Association passed an overwhelming vote of no confidence in his candidacy.

The vote followed a special meeting at which Mr Neil was quizzed about alleged discrepancies in his CV, and his role in the Association.

Miss Frankland said:"It would have been far more sensible for him to have resigned.

"There is going to be alot of muck raking and we could all have done without it," she added.

Mr Neil was unavailable for comment today. The association understands he plans to spend Christmas in the West Indies.

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