CONSERVATIVE councillor Clayton Hudson says he is “over the moon” John Pye quit as Tory candidate for police commissioner and that he “couldn’t believe the guy’s arrogance.”

Cllr Hudson, of South Cambs, said: “Let’s hope the new candidate is a Conservative member and the process for selection is open and transparent.

“Sorry he had to go. He wasn’t one of us but expected us to campaign and fund his election. When elected he would have ignored us.

“I tried to engage John on a number of occasions by email and phone- no reply. His record on Cambridgeshire Police Authority is appalling. Rank and file members didn’t know what they were voting for.”

And to rub his pleasure in further, Cllr Hudson – in a series of postings on Twitter- added that “as a colleague said, lets all forget about this loser and move on. It’s all Pye in the sky now. Fantastic news. Another one bites the dust.”

Cllr Hudson said he “finds blunt works” and hopes the party might consider rallying behind 70 year-old former MP Sir Graham Bright, once PPS to John Major. Sir Graham was among the short listed candidates when Mr Pye won the nomination.

“I wasn’t prepared to see the opportunity of PCC wasted. Didn’t think John could provide leadership required,” added Cllr Hudson.

Wisbech county councillor Samantha Hoy took to Twitter to point out that it was not Mr Pye’s fault Conservatives eventually felt unhappy with an independent candidate standing on

Conservative Central Office allowed, she wrote, and “they are the baddies here, not him.”