A TELEVISION actor has been chosen to fight a marginal seat in the next General Election.

James Gaddas, of ITV's Bad Girls and who played Vinny Sorrell in Coronation Street, will fight Stockton South for the Conservatives.

The constituency has been identified by the Conservatives as a prime target at the next election, which is likely to be held next year.

The seat was held by the Conservative Party until Dari Taylor won it for Labour in 1997.

Mr Gaddas, 43, who is from Stockton and whose parents live in the Fairfield area of the town, was selected at a meeting on Saturday, which was attended by more than 100 members of the local Conservative party.

Stockton Conservative Party chairman James Wharton said: "I am confident that James is going to be a superb candidate. He was born in Stockton and has maintained strong links with the area."

The constituency was held by Tory MP Tim Devlin until 1997. At the last election, in 2001, Ms Taylor increased her majority to 9,086 but received 2,500 fewer votes because of a fall in turnout.