Nadine Dorries has nailed her colours to plans for a Center Parcs resort in Bedfordshire – despite admitting it may cost her votes.

The Mid Beds MP made a speech to local business bosses from the Chamber of Commerce last Friday where she claimed to "fully support the Center Parcs application".

Mrs Dorries said: "With it, we meet the criteria for economic growth through tourism. It would move Mid Bedfordshire away from a motorway corridor to a desirable place to visit."

The MP, who was elected for the first time in May, cited a long list of benefits which would result from the resort.

As well as new full-time jobs she claimed there would be summer work for students, and that workers living locally would mean a long-term boost to the local housing market.

And she claimed to have a "personal guarantee" that staff would be mainly recruited from Mid Bedfordshire.

Plans for the £160 million project, to be built on the Duke of Bedford's estate at Warren Wood, near Woburn, were announced last December.

Mrs Dorries admitted: "I will be heavily criticised by opponents to the proposal in the local press and I may even lose some votes too.

"(But) if I did take the easy option I would feel ashamed of my position. I have no right to be an MP if I cannot make a difficult decision. Especially a difficult decision in public."

Mrs Dorries added: "I have visited Center Parcs' Longleat Forest Village in Wiltshire. I met Center Parcs employees and suppliers, and seen the product at first hand.

"I am not sure if the opponents have visited one of the villages but I feel it is helpful to see the concept at work before forming your own view."