FORMER Coronation Street star Adam Rickitt is a local Conservative on David Cameron's A-list leading to speculation he might become the next parliamentary candidate for Chester.

Mentioning his name to local Tories is usually followed by laughter but there is precedence for a showbiz applicant - remember Gyles Brandreth MP?

And even The Independent ranareport in yesterday's edition putting the former soap and pop star forward as a favourite to take over from Paul Offer.

In June, Rickitt, from Cuddington, near Northwich, denied courting Eddisbury and Chester party members in the hope they would choose him as their next candidate.

He said: 'The idea of standing in my home constituency of Eddisbury would be lovely, but we have got a fantastic MP (Stephen O'Brien) here.

'Paul Offer got fantastic results for Chester Conservatives in the last election so I can't imagine he would be moving on. It is a case of finding an appropriate seat for me. It is entirely up to the constituency communities to decide if I am the right person.'

Rickitt, whose brother Tim runs an estate agents in Chester, knows how to grab the media's attention.

He told The Chronicle that, if elected,he would seek to abolish an ancient by-law allowing the people of Chester to kill Welsh visitors at night - even though it no longer offers legal protection.

So far Chester Conservatives remain tight-lipped about who their new candidate might be but it is believed they would prefer a local.

So another possible candidate could be city councillor Caroline Mosley, from Handbridge, who represents Upton Westlea, and is also on Cameron's A-list.

Last time around county Cllr Eveleigh Moore-Dutton (Broxton), from Tushingham, stood against Offer to become the Chester candidate but she has since gained valuable experience fighting Gwyneth Dunwoody MP's safe Labour seat of Crewe & Nantwich. She said it was 'too early' to decide whether to throw her hat into the ring.

Association chairman Brian Crowe, said: 'When we do make a decision it will be based on the best interests of the Conservative Party and the citizens of Chester. Whether we go for a local candidate or somebody from further afield, the members will decide. I want the best person for the job.'

MP reacts to 'private' departure

CHESTER MP Christine Russell may be privately disappointed at the demise of Paul Offer, even though he came a close second in the 2005 general election.

Ms Russell, whose 6,894 majority was slashed to just 915, did not rate Mr Offer and was pleased when his reselection was fast-tracked in the September after the poll.

Offer's critics within his own party concede it was the success of the Liberal Democrats in eating into Ms Russell's majority that allowed the Tories to make for such a close contest rather than the strength of candidate.

Reacting to Offer's resignation, Ms Russell, who was speaking from the Middle East while on a peace mission, said: 'It's a matter for the local Conservative Association and I would not wish to intrude on their private grief.'

When elected in 1997 Ms Russell was the first Labour MP for the City of Chester constituency and recently announced that she intends to seek a fourth term as MP.