CANDIDATES are preparing to battle it out in next month's Gloucestershire County Council elections.

And Cirencester is already proving to be one of the most hotly contested wards.

Six candidates - two from each of the main political parties - have thrown their hat into the electoral arena in the two seat ward.

And, as May 5 draws nearer, the prospective county councillors have been taking to the streets in a bid to court public support.

Cotswold District Council's electoral services officer Sarah Dalby, who co-ordinates elections in the district at all levels of government, said: "Having more candidates certainly helps generate interest and the more information they give out to electors should certainly help the turnout.

"We hope the turnout for the county elections will be higher than before and having the Parliamentary elections at the same time helps."

In Cirencester, Liberal Democrats Deryck Nash and Roger Brown are going head-to-head with Conservatives David Fowles and John Burgess and Labour's Alison Paterson and Jane Terry.

The battle between the Lib Dems and Tories has been particularly fierce as the candidates fight to gain the upper hand.

Meanwhile, elsewhere in the district, Tetbury is another interesting tussle, as Labour's John Dearnley, Liberal Democrat Leslie Brown, Tory Anthony Wicks and Independent Peter Martin battle it out.

The full list of other wards and candidates is: BOURTON - Charles Gillams (Con), Clifford Rebbeck (LD); EAST COTSWOLD - Christopher Giles (Lab), John 'Greg' Phillips (LD), Raymond Theodoulou (Con); STOW - Clive Baker (Lab), Barry Dare (Con), Ben Jeffrey (Ind), Elisabeth Ribbans (LD); NORTH COTSWOLD - Julie Girling (Con), Martin Harwood (LD); NORTHLEACH - Jane Chambers (LD), Mavis Dunrossil (Con), Mavis Linstrum (Lab); SOUTH COTSWOLD - Helen Mosdell (Lab), Shaun Parsons (Con), Frank Wrenn (LD).

In addition to the county and Parliamentary elections, a by-election will take place in Cirencester Watermoor on May 5 for a vacancy on Cotswold District Council.

The candidates are Conservative Geoffrey Adams and Liberal Democrat John Leicester, who both currently serve on Cirencester Town Council.