A long-standing county councillor who was “stabbed in the back” by party colleagues has confirmed he will not stand as an independent candidate in his old seat.

Roy Clements, the Conservative member for Oxhey Park since 2001, reacted with fury last year when, despite enjoying a healthy majority, he was deselected as a candidate for June’s local elections.

In an interview with the Watford Observer in December, Mr Clements accused his former friends and colleagues at the Watford Conservative Association of “stabbing him in the back” when a rival candidate was chosen in his place.

Furious about this alleged betrayal Councillor Clements, urged on by many of his constituents, considered standing in the seat as an independent candidate on June 4.

Councillor Clements, however, speaking ahead of the application deadline on May 7, confirmed today that he had no intention of standing.

He said: “Much as I would like to stand; much as I have had a huge response from people in the community asking me to, I have decided against it.”

He added that he would still had a desire to serve the local community but would find other ways to do this outside of politics.