The Labour Party has announced its candidate to contest one of Epping Forest's parliamentary seats at the next general election.

Liam Preston was selected on Saturday to fight Ongar and Brentwood MP, Eric Pickles, for his seat next year.

Mr Preston is a member of the Advisory Council on Youth at human rights organisation The Council of Europe, National Youth Committee chairman of The Co-operative Party and parliamentary and policy officer at YMCA England.

He said: “I am delighted to have been selected and excited about giving the people of Brentwood and Ongar a real alternative to what Mr Pickles has offered them so far.

"Over the next fourteen months I look forward to discussing how the Labour party can make resident’s lives better and bring our community closer together."

Labour came third in the 2010 election with less than 10 per cent of the vote.

Eric Pickles won the seat with more than 50 per cent.