A political anarchist most famously known for being a glamour model and a former Liberal Democrat politician is to challenge Iain Duncan-Smith in next year's general election. 

Marina Pepper (nee Baker), 46, is looking to stand in Chingford and Woodford Green in response to the Work and Pensions Secretary's welfare reforms. 

The former Liberal Democrat councillor in Lewes, East Sussex, and mayor of Telscombe defected from the party to join Class War, an anarchist group founded in the 1980s. 

Ms Pepper, a mother-of-two, lives 80 miles away from the constituency in East Sussex, but claims to have visited both Chingford and Woodford Green in the past, and had a spell living in Kings Road, Leytonstone during her year at university studying journalism. 

She says she plans to challenge the seat held by Mr Duncan-Smith since 1992 on behalf of people with disabilities after experiencing first-hand the effects of welfare reform. 

She said: "In the last four years, [Mr Duncan Smith] has not been representing local people and instead causing national heartache.

"He is a national issue and has no feelings for people falling on hard times and his constituents deserve better.  

"For many, he has taken away their safety net including that of my brother's.

"Martin didn't chose to be autistic or have a stroke but yet he has had his benefits slashed and my mother has to take on the role of a key social worker. 

"We're a very wealthy country and even if he was to step down tomorrow, he is made for life. This is a blessing having the chance to stand in his constituency."

The government has implemented changes for job-seekers and people with disabilities such as replacing the Disability Living Allowance (DLA) with the Personal Independance Payment (PIP) as it believes the former system was too complex and had not been fundamentally reformed or reviewed since the 1990s. 

The anarchist says she has "nothing to lose" by standing next year and says, since her announcement, she has received messages of support from across the country.

During her late teens, Ms Pepper worked as a glamour model for three years and posed for various magazines.

She was chosen as Playboy's Playmate of the Month for March 1987.     

She became a poster girl for the anti-fracking movement in July 2013 after photographs of her being carried away from the Balcombe protest went viral.

Ms Pepper will be visiting Chingford in the next two weeks and says she has already been offered a place to stay if elected.