LABOUR candidates in Worcester City Council elections could pay the price for problems at Westminster with a low turnout in Thursday's polls.

But they say city voters are more interested in local issues than the troubles of Home Secretary Charles Clarke, Health Minister Patricia Hewitt and Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott.

These included Mrs Hewitt's announcement of staffing cuts in the National Health Service and Mr Clarke's admission that foreign prisoners, including murderers and rapists, had been released and not deported, together with Mr Prescott's extra-marital affair.

Adrian Gregson, leader of the Labour group on the city council, said it could be hard to motivate people to get out and vote.

"There have clearly been some lapses of judgement, but that's playing out on a much bigger stage than Worcester. Local issues are what this election is about," he said.

"How can you complain about the rubbish in the streets if you don't vote?"

Jo Hodges, defending her seat in Warndon for Labour, said: "I think the voters of Warndon are too sensible to let national issues cloud their view of local ones.

"They are more interested in safe and secure communities, housing, anti-social behaviour and the perceived problems of young people having nothing to do.

"I don't think Labour supporters will vote Conservative because of what's happening nationally, but they may feel they don't want to vote at all."

Richard Udall, contesting St Peter's, said National Health Service issues had been mentioned once or twice on the doorstep, but local issues came up more often.

"The biggest concern is traffic, especially the congestion on the main road from Whittington to St John's and the use of roads in St Peter's as rat runs," he said.

Worcester's Labour MP, Mike Foster, said it would be disappointing if the difficulties of the last week had an impact on the polls.

"I would like to think voters can see the difference between local and national policies," he said. "If they pay too much attention to national issues they will lose the opportunity for a referendum on the city council."