City Conservatives are in turmoil after a meeting to select their candidate for a marginal seat was suddenly called off.

More than 100 people originally applied to stand against Labour MP Des Turner for the Brighton Kemptown seat in the next general election.

But a meeting at Woodingdean School on Tuesday to decide between the final three was cancelled at the last minute.

Most members were contacted in advance but those who did arrive were left mystified at the 11th-hour decision to scrap the selection session.

One party member described it as "outrageous" and called for details to be made public.

The Conservative Party has refused to release any information.

An official statement said simply: "With regret, the officers of the Kemp Town Conservative Association have decided, on advice from Conservative Central Office, for technical reasons to postpone the final selection meeting.

"Details of the reconvened meeting will be forwarded to all members in due course."

No one was prepared to add to the statement and even members of the selection committee said they did not know details of the postponement.

One member said: "It is a complete mystery. It was all down to Central Office, who would not say anything about it."

Councillor Geoffrey Theobald, who stood for Kemp Town in 2001, is favourite for selection against two outsiders, Ian Gibb and Hannah Hall.

A former mayor of Brighton and previous group leader on the city council, Coun Theobald is one of the most experienced politicians in the city.

Coun Theobald and Kemptown Tory chairman Coun Mary Mears were not available for comment.

David Gold, the young Brighton Pavilion contender in 2001 who had been interested in Kemptown, was also unable to comment.

The seat was created in 1950 and was held by Tories Howard Johnson and David James until the famous Labour victory in 1964 by Dennis Hobden. Andrew Bowden won it in 1970 and held on until 1997, when Mr Turner regained it for Labour with a margin of 3,534.

In 2001 Mr Turner increased the margin, this time over Coun Theobald, to 4,922. He is fighting the seat again.