David Gauke has welcomed support from a former Conservative Deputy Prime Minister.

Michael Heseltine, who served under Margret Thatcher and John Major, said those wishing to avoid a “disastrous Brexit” should vote for the South West Herts candidate in next month’s poll.

And Lord Heseltine, who was speaking at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Gerrards Cross, felt Mr Gauke has shown “great courage and determination” after he was thrown out of the Conservative Party.

Responding to the comments, Mr Gauke said: “It was great to have 100 supporters from South West Herts out to hear from Michael Heseltine and I am really pleased to have his support in this election.

“It is really important that Independents are elected to provide strong, experienced representation in parliament and fight Boris Johnson’s no Brexit.”

Former Tories Dominic Grieve and Anne Milton as well as Mr Gauke joined Lord Heseltine at the hotel on Monday, with all three standing as Independent candidates.

While speaking at the event, Lord Heseltine said Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal would be “utterly disastrous” for the country.

He also urged Tory voters to vote for Independent candidates or the Liberal Democrats' in the General Election.

The 86-year-old added: "I'm telling voters to vote for what they believe and what the Conservative Party has stood for all my life and certainly all of theirs - and to put country first.

"And what I think that means in practical terms is they either vote for the defrocked Conservative candidates, of which we have three excellent examples of David Gauke, Dominic Grieve and Anne Milton here, or they vote Lib Dem."