DEFECTING Tory councillor Sandra Wilson has provoked an angry response from her former colleagues after accusing them of broken election promises.

The Marlow town councillor switched her allegiance to the Liberal Democrats last week following disillusionment at national level and "broken election promises" at local level.

She says colleagues advised her to canvass on the issue of free parking for Marlow residents in the 1999 elections yet the issue has not come up since the Conservatives took control.

She has produced a 1998 In Touch newsletter, a Conservative flyer sent out to households in Marlow, which says: "We will continue to fight for Marlow residents to have two hours' free parking in the car parks."

Cllr Wilson said: "I was advised by colleagues to use this as a basis for door-to-door canvassing in Marlow."

But Cllr Frank Sweatman (Con) said this issue was never part of their election manifesto.

"If she was door knocking and bringing up the issue of free parking, she could not have read her election manifesto."

He added: "In opposition we fought for free residents' parking in Marlow without success. Once we took control it became apparent from the finances it could not be done."

Cllr Wilson was also accused of telling the press about her defection before Tory top brass. She argues: "I used the correct channel of communication, the elected leader of Marlow Town Council, town mayor Derek Done, to explain my defection. had informed the correct people three days before the press release."