AN EX-POLICE officer’s hopes of becoming a councillor have been dashed – because he has a criminal conviction.

Matthew Taylor was handed a four-month suspended sentence in October for harassing Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner Katy Bourne.

The sentence precludes him from being a councillor.

But the father of two has announced he still wants to run for Brighton and Hove City Council.

He plans to stand as an Independent in Moulsecoomb and Bevendean in the May elections.

And if he got in, he is promising he would build a Hollywood studio, an island off Brighton and a moon base which would allow people to experience what it’s like to be on the moon.

This would be in Moulsecoomb, where he lives.

The 42-year-old said he would appeal against his harassment conviction. He said: “I absolutely believe in my heart of hearts that this can happen.

“This area is the most deprived but there is so much talent and so much potential.

“These are the best ideas for Moulsecoomb and Bevendean and I’ve got the passion to make this happen.”

Mr Taylor says building a moon base in the area would be a tourist attraction and provide jobs.

He said it would be “paid for by Hollywood”, which he hopes will also build a movie studio in the area. He said this would be used to make a trilogy based on the story of King Arthur, written by himself.

He hopes it would create jobs and provide investment in the area. He said: “We’re talking jobs, jobs, jobs for generations to come – let’s seize the opportunity.

“Not one person in the area will dip into their pockets, they just need to give their permission.”

He said the studio would be built using renewable “earthship technologies”.

Along with the moon base, the added revenue from the Hollywood development would fund a tunnel from Moulsecoomb to the sea. At the end of the tunnel would be an island.

Mr Taylor added: “I’ve always been interested in local politics and the community around me.

“I’ve got a vision for the whole of Brighton, not just Moulsecoomb, and I’m just as entitled to have my say.”

Mr Taylor ran as an Independent candidate for Brighton Kemptown in the 2015 General Election. He received 64 votes – less than one per cent of the total vote.

In October, Mr Taylor was found guilty of harassing the police crime commissioner and Mark Streater, her office’s chief executive. He was found to have posted content online which was “extremely distressing”.

Mrs Bourne and Mr Streater sought an injunction against Mr Taylor. A court order was issued banning him from posting material online about the pair.

Council rules say you cannot be a councillor if you have been sentenced to prison for three months or more, including suspended sentences, during the five years before election day.