The granddaughter of late Labour stalwart Tony Benn is to stand for election in Croydon South next year.

Emily Benn, a councillor in the West Thornton ward since May, was selected to run for Parliament at the party's local hustings on Saturday.

She will go up against Conservative candidate Chris Philps in the Tory safe seat in May's vote. 

Croydon-born Miss Benn, 24, said: "I am both honoured and humbled to have been chosen by local members to be their Labour candidate in Croydon South, the borough I have lived in all of my life.

"I am determined to repay the trust they have shown in me by campaigning to make a difference across the constituency.

"It may be a challenge, but I firmly believe there should be no no-go areas for the Labour Party. I look forward to holding the Conservative Party candidate to account over the next nine months to the election."

If elected, she would would take up a seat in the House of Commons 65 years after her grandfather was first elected to Parliamentary and would join her uncle Hilary on the benches.

But she would need to overturn a huge Conservative majority of 15,818 to secure victory.

Miss Benn unsuccessfully contested the 2010 general election in East Worthing and Shoreham.