HE came over from Syria when he won a scholarship to a top university - but now he's got his sights set on something much higher.

George Jabbour always dreamed of getting involved in politics when he moved to England, and now he's halfway there.

The 35-year-old is standing as Mayor of Watford when Liberal Democrat Dorothy Thornhill steps down next May.

Hoping to become the town's next Tory mayor, he plans to build upon the town’s “vibrant business community”.

He says he is “proud” of how welcoming the town has been after his move in 2004, when he gained a place to study finance at Imperial College in London.

He has worked in investment and engineering industries and also started a small business to help public sector organisations with their finances in 2009.

Mr Jabbour believes it is an “interesting time” for Watford due to the amount of new developments being built and wants to keep introducing more businesses to the area.

He said: “I want to run because of my business skills and background.

“The town has a vibrant business community, but I think it is important to keep building on the industry that is already here.

“There is also a growing infrastructure and I want to help improve issues with housing, parking, potholes and also believe there has to be more enforcement using CCTV to tackle fly-tipping. People will be less likely to do it if they know they are probably going to be caught.”

Mr Jabbour joined the Conservative Party in 2013, as the values of “hard work, aspiration and opportunities” resonated with him and were completely different to views in his home country.

Although he says his childhood in Damascus was filled with “adventures while playing in the streets or playing cards with friends”, people were still aware that there was a dictatorship under former President Hafez al-Assad’s regime.

After his son Bashar took over in 2000, Mr Jabbour noticed a lack of free speech in school and would “worry” about criticising or making jokes about anyone in power.

He explained: “There is a whole system of corruption. While driving, you could be stopped by a police officer who would ask you for money even if you were not speeding or going through a red light. People were aware of this way of life and it is potentially why it led to an uprising.

“My parent still live in Damascus. Whenever I phone them, they always know to answer no matter what they are doing, just to let me know they are safe.

“I wanted to come to the UK as values such as free speech, respect for the law and tolerance of other cultures is welcoming. That does not exist in Syria.”