Wokingham’s former council leader did have his eye on former Henley MP Boris Johnson’s seat after all, it has emerged.

Frank Browne approached a Wokingham businessman asking for a reference letter to help him register as a candidate for the Conservative party, a source has revealed.

Mr Browne stepped down as leader of Wokingham Borough Council in May and at the time rumour was rife he had an eye on the seat but he neither confirmed nor denied this.

However the source has revealed Mr Browne wrote to the businessman shortly after the election in May.

The source said: “[The businessman] has worked with him quite a lot and wrote a letter extolling his strengths.

“I don’t know where he was intending to run for though, I doubt it was Crewe.”

The seat was eventually won by Conservative John Howell.

The Wokingham Times tried to contact Mr Browne but he had not responded at the time of going to press.