The Conservative party has denied engineering a meeting where new officers were elected.

Members told the Gazette that some constituents were turned away from the inaugural Clacton Conservative Association meeting.

They claim the meeting at the Conservative Club in Old Road was carried out by the Tory hierarchy so their chosen members were appointed.

One grassroots member, who asked not to be named, said: "It was a total fiasco, everything that they wanted to pass just got voted through."

Giles Bancroft, a spokesman for the Conservative Party, dismissed the allegations.

"There were just under 200 members in attendance," he said.

"Only qualifying members were allowed to attend and only members who would be part of the new Clacton Association were allowed to vote.

"Several people were turned away because they did not appear on the qualifying members list and they did not produce membership cards.

"There were people who were eligible to attend the meeting but not eligible to vote."