A WAR of words in a row over the deselection of a Tory councillor is heating up - after 3,500 letters were sent to constituents accusing the local Conservative party of an "ambush".

Councillor Marjorie Simpson was deselected by Stockton Conservatives when members chose candidates to stand in May's local government elections.

However, Coun Simpson sent out a letter last week to about 3,500 constituents in Yarm, accusing party members of plotting against her.

She also denied claims made by association chairman James Wharton that she had sworn at him during a telephone call, and made an inappropriate comment about terminally-ill people.

In the letter, she wrote: "I can assure you all I have done nothing wrong, which is recognised by the fair-minded councillors on the Conservative group."

She continued: "The fact is that it was a problem to certain people with an over-inflated ego that I had done everything right."

Coun Simpson told The Northern Echo yesterday she wanted to set the record straight with her Yarm constituents.

She said her deselection from the party had taken place to allow Ingleby Barwick councillor and association deputy chairwoman Jennie Beaumont to stand in her place.

She said: "Because of the shabby way this was contrived, I will be standing as an Independent in the next elections."

However, it emerged last night that ten years ago Mrs Simpson herself replaced a sitting councillor, who was de-selected to allow her to stand.

Andrew Sherris - who has been selected as a Yarm candidate in the May elections - was a Tory councillor for 12 years when he was voted out to make way for Mrs Simpson in 1995.

Former councillor Gwen Porter, who stood alongside Mr Sherris at the time, refused her nomination in protest. Mrs Porter said: "It seems that in Mrs Simpson's case what goes around comes around."

Jennie Beaumont yesterday denied Coun Simpson's claims.

She said: "There was nothing untoward about this, everything was done according to the rule book.

"I would also like to put on record that my standing in Yarm has nothing to do with Marjorie's deselection."

She said she was standing for the third extra seat that had been created in the town by boundary changes.