Gardiner serves writ to regain seat

Sir George Gardiner, the Conservative rebel who was deselected by his constituency party last week, has taken legal action to try to regain his seat.

The move could prevent Reigate Conservative Association in Surrey from looking for a replacement. A statement issued by his office last night said he had issued a writ seeking a declaration that last Thursday's special meeting of the association was invalid. It added that he was seeking an injunction to prevent any action aimed at the selection of a candidate.

Sir George, 61, is regarded as one of the most persistent Euro-sceptic thorns in the Prime Minister's side. Last year he survived an attempt to remove him from the constituency which he has held since 1974 and where he had a majority of 17,664 at the last election. But some members felt he had gone too far at Christmas when he wrote an article describing John Major as the "ventriloquist's dummy" of the Chancellor, Kenneth Clarke, on the issue of the single currency.

Last night's statement from Sir George said that as the matter was now effectively sub judice, he would be making no further comment. However, last week he described the decision as "a triumph of spite over loyalty".

He has claimed that his detractors recruited new members to the party to oppose him, charging them pounds 1 per head.