A SENEDD member from Gwent's bid to become the mayor of London has been unsuccessful.

Natasha Asghar said the news was "disappointing" but brushed aside criticism of her candidacy and said "ambition is never something we should be ashamed of".

Ms Asghar, a Conservative member of the Welsh Parliament, representing the South Wales East region, had faced criticism from members of other parties in the Senedd chamber for her decision to throw her hat into the ring.

She was not selected for the Tories' shortlist of three mayoral candidates, who will be whittled down to one to take on Labour incumbent mayor Sadiq Khan next May.

"While it is disappointing not to have made it further in this process, the experience has been great," Ms Asghar said in a statement on Monday.

"Ambition is never something we should be ashamed of, nor should anyone shame us for it, and I knew that if I didn’t put my name forward now, it’s something I would’ve regretted for the rest of my life.

"I must say a huge thank you to all those who called, emailed, and sent messages of support from both ends of the M4, my supportive constituents for their unwavering backing, and to my Conservative colleagues for their encouragement and kind words."

Among the criticism Ms Asghar faced when she announced her mayoral bid was her commitment to her constituents in the Senedd.

In her statement on Monday, she said: "As has always been the case, my constituents in South East Wales remain my number one priority and I will continue to serve them to the best of my ability.

"I very much look forward to helping them and raising their concerns and issues in the Welsh Parliament for years to come."

The Conservative Party has announced a shortlist of three people for next year's mayor of London elections.

They are London Assembly member Susan Hall, ex-political aide to Downing Street Daniel Korski, and Mozammel Hossain, a barrister.

The chosen Tory candidate will join those from other parties looking to unseat Mr Khan, who is currently serving his second term as mayor of the UK's capital city.