A Conservative county councillor has escaped censure despite saying he will not back the party's candidate in the police commissioner election.

Local party chiefs have agreed not to sanction the long-standing Faversham county councillor Tom Gates - even though he had told colleagues in an email he would be backing independent candidate Ann Barnes, the former police authority chairman, rather than Conservative candidate Craig Mackinlay.

Cllr Gates, who is himself a member of the police authority, told his party he did not believe the commissioner's role should be held by a politician.

That led to him facing the threat of deselection and possible expulsion from the party.

But after a private meeting on Friday, the Faversham and Mid Kent Conservative Association and Mr Gates issued a joint statement in which it said Mr Gates had now agreed not to support or campaign for any candidate.

The statement said: "As a member of the existing police authority, Tom believes strongly that the election of a police commissioner should not be politicised and further believes that police authorities should be retained."

It added: "Tom has agreed he will not be supporting or campaigning for any particular candidate. The Conservative party both in Faversham and Mid Kent and nationally invites and welcomes members from many differing backgrounds, and therefore welcomes and accommodates members with a wide range of views on many different subjects and issues. To that end, the executive has agreed that this matter is now closed."

The statement also praised Mr Gates as hard-working and loyal.

It is understood he had already received the backing of his local branch of the Conservative association, but the matter was referred to the constituency's executive for discussion.

Mr Gates, a retired builder elected to KCC as the Faversham member in 1993, said he did not wish to add anything to the joint statement.