INDEPENDENT Councillor Jim Halford will not take up the Labour party's "ludicrous challenge" to contest his seat on Sevenoaks Council in a by-election.

Councillor Halford was responding to Councillor David Coates' proposal in last week's News Shopper that he should test the loyalty of his constituents in Swanley after leaving the Labour Party.

He said: "This is absolutely hilarious, they are playing at carry-on politics.

"It's just a ploy by any political party who has seen one of their members cross the floor to challenge them to a by-election.

"The people of Swanley elected me. All I can say to Labour is that I shall see them in 2003 when my term expires."