Watford’s Liberal Democrats will begin selecting their candidate for next year’s General Election later this month.

The local association will close candidate applications on August 19, according to party an independent party website Liberal Democrat Voice.

The formal contest will be held in September.

News of the meeting comes as Watford’s elected mayor Dorothy Thornhill remains yet to say whether she plans to stand as the party’s parliamentary candidate.

At a hustings before this year’s mayoral election she said she was undecided about whether she would throw her hat into the ring for selection.

At the last election the Lib Dems came within 1,425 votes of taking the seat, which was eventually won by Conservative Richard Harrington.

If the mayor were to run it she would still have three years left on her term at town hall, after she won a fourth consecutive mayoral election in May.

Last month the UK Independence Party unveiled Nick Lincoln as their Watford candidate. The selection means UKIP, Labour and the Conservatives all have their candidates in place for next May.