Anthony Steen, the South West's longest-serving Conservative MP, will face ex-Tory councillor Jeff Beer at the next general election.

Mr Beer, a former Kingsbridge Conservative party member, was officially selected to fight the Totnes seat by the UK Independence Party's Totnes constituency association last week.

Mr Steen, who retained his seat with a majority of more than 1,500 over the Liberal Democrats in 2005, has been the MP for the Totnes and South Hams seats since 1983.

But an interesting battle now looms between the veteran MP and Mr Beer, who was a Conservative member for Kingsbridge North on South Hams Council for eight years.

Mr Beer, who has lived and worked in the Kingsbridge area for over 30 years, quit the Conservative party earlier this year because he became disillusioned with David Cameron's leadership.

He also became frustrated with the party's "ambiguous attitude" towards the European Union.

Mr Beer told the Herald Express: "I am very pleased to have been selected as the UKIP PPC for the Totnes Constituency.

"UKIP, with its clear position on withdrawal from the EU and its broad range of other policies, is an organisation which deserves extensive support.

Jeff Beer: "UKIP, with its clear position on withdrawal from the EU and its broad range of other policies, is an organisation which deserves extensive support."

"I look forward to the next general election and debate with the other political parties, all of whom support Britain's continuing subservience to the EU."

Peter Wyatt, chairman of the Totnes UKIP branch, added: "We are delighted to have Jeff on board as our prospective parliamentary candidate for the Totnes constituency. He is well known and a respected figure.

"Like many erstwhile Conservative voters, he has realised that the Conservative party is simply not going to free Britain from the clutches of the EU and re-establish us as the sovereign, self-governing nation that we should be."

The party will be aiming to tap into the growing anti-EU feeling in the Totnes constituency.

Local fishermen and farmers have already expressed their dissatisfaction with many EU policies and have given their support to UKIP.

Prospective Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate Julian Brazil told the Kingsbridge Gazette that he respected Mr Beer's decision to leave the Tory party and represent UKIP at the next general election.

He said: "It is a surprise, but Jeff has always been a conviction politician. He feels strongly that the UK should come out of Europe, but because it is not a Conservative policy I assume he felt the only way he could pursue his true beliefs was by joining UKIP.

"It is a brave move, as I am sure that many of his friends in the Conservative party will feel let down.

"But he is a cleaver politician. There is a strong UKIP presence in this area."

Mr Steen fought off the challenge from Liberal Democrat candidate Mike Treleaven and former UKIP leader Roger Knapman MEP at the last general election.

Mr Knapman, a former Conservative MP for Stroud, polled only 3,914 votes, compared with Mr Steen's 21,112.

Many had predicted that Mr Knapman would run Mr Steen close but it was Mr Treleaven, a Kingsbridge businessman and community college governor, who posed the greatest threat. He picked up 19,165 votes.

999Kingsbridge is trying to contact Mr Steen for a comment on the election showdown.