A Conservative candidate for next year's Welsh assembly elections has stood down amid a row over his views on homosexuality.

John Jenkins was said to have commented three years ago that gays suffer from a "medical mental condition".

After selecting him for the Carmarthen West and Pembrokeshire South seat in the 2007 election, the Welsh Conservatives said he regretted the "naive and childish" remarks he was said to have made on a website in 2003.

The comments had come at a time when he was standing for the Llanelli seat in the Welsh assembly, and forced him to step down on that occasion too.

But after criticism from Labour and Plaid Cymru, Jenkins announced he was ending his latest bid for election.

A statement said that he "does not accept that views on homosexuality on a website three years ago were his, and believes that these views are totally unacceptable in politics".

"Following continued speculation, he has, however, decided to resign as the candidate in these elections in the best interests of the Conservative Party," it added.

Odious views

Labour AM Christine Gwyther said: "John Jenkins made his odious views known at the last assembly election and in the process exposed all that is bad about the Tories.

"For him now to show up as the Tory candidate in a key seat is a farce and hugely damaging to any claims the Tories make about representing everyone in society.

"This is not simply insulting to the gay community but also to all sensible, decent people, who are repulsed by this form of extremist politics."

And Plaid Cymru social justice spokesman Leanne Wood said the comments had been "abusive and abhorrent".

"This shows that they are still the same old nasty party," she said.

"I seriously doubt whether this Tory's views are compatible with the image that Cameron is trying to portray. 

"I am very surprised he has been selected. It smacks of desperation. If he was deselected in 2003, then I cannot believe he can be reselected in 2006."

Before the latest row, Jenkins had said he was "very pleased and humbled" to have been selected.