The Conservative Party has failed to block a legal bid by police for more time to investigate electoral fraud allegations against them.

Magistrates granted Kent Police an extra 12 months to investigate the claims at a hearing in Folkestone Magistrates' Court on Wednesday.

Without the extension, a one-year time limit to launch potential criminal proceedings relating to the 2015 general election would have expired on June 12.

The Conservative Party had argued against granting the extension.

District Judge Barron said: "In my judgment the combination of circumstances before me is wholly exceptional and goes far beyond the usual circumstances that would exist in a typical case where election offences are being investigated."

The allegations concern whether or not Tory spending on hotels in South Thanet during the 2015 election campaign should have been recorded as local campaign spending rather than being attributed to the larger national budget.

The seat was won by Tory candidate Craig Mackinlay, who was elected as an MP for the first time.

According to Channel Four, which made the allegations following an investigation into party spending in marginal seats, 18 police forces in Britain are seeking extensions to legal time limits.

South Thanet is the only constituency where the Conservatives have contested the request.