A business owner from East Molesey has been selected as the Conservative candidate for Weybridge and St George’s Hill in the Surrey County Council election in May.

Christian Mahne, 39, co-owner of Vetch Mahne public relations consultancy, was chosen from two candidates at a joint meeting of the Weybridge and St George’s Hill Conservative branches at St James’ Church Hall, Weybridge, on Wednesday, January 30.

Mr Mahne said: “Getting the borough and county aligned, working together in the interests of local residents, is my highest priority if elected.

“I believe the energy and fresh ideas of this new generation of candidates coming through will renew our connection with voters.

“We must run Surrey like a business, with absolute clarity and focus on providing the services, support and solutions which local people and enterprises need. I look forward to discussing this with voters on the doorstep.

“In a nutshell, I’m about making things happen and I want to see a lot happening in Surrey.”

Mr Mahne was born in Guildford and attended Feltonfleet School in Cobham before attending Eton College and Oxford University. As a graduate, Mr Mahne earned an Oxford rowing blue in the 1994 Boat Race.

Last month, current county councillor for Weybridge, Ian Lake, quit the Conservative Party and continued to stand as an independent.

Mr Mahne will battle Mr Lake if he chooses to stand as an independent candidate at the election on May 2.