VOTERS in the Sidemoor ward will have three candidates to choose from when they go to the polls next month.

The district council by-election on Thursday, February 19, has been called by the resignation of Labour councillor Paul Stokes.

As revealed in last week's Advertiser, Conservatives and Labour had their nominations in before Friday's deadline. As expected, the Independents are also fielding a candidate. She is Angela Hadley, a former Tory councillor who fell out with the party hierarchy when she failed to get a nomination in last May's local elections.

A trained nurse from Sidemoor, she is a former housing committee chairman and served in the cabinet with responsibility for housing issues.She said she is concerned at proposals to develop the Victoria Ground and, if elected, will do her utmost to expose the "secretiveness" of the present Tory administration. Labour candidate Athol Deakin is a seasoned campaigner and is a member of Stoke Prior Parish Council.

He is also a member of a trust concerned with the welfare of widows and single women.

He has been a member of Bromsgrove and District Sports Council for 20 years, seven as its chairman. He has lived in the ward, is fully aware of its current problems and believes in consultation with residents.

The Conservative Sally Harfield has lived locally for many years. Her mother lives in Sidemoor. In last May's election as one of the new crop of Tory candidates, she was disappointed not to win one of the two seats in Sidemoor.

Her main interests are provision for the elderly and young and local charities, notably the Primrose Hospice and Macmillan Cancer Research.

Polling will take place between 8am and 9pm at NewSong Community Church and Meadows First School. The count will be held at the Council House immediately after the close of poll.

In May, the result was William Newnes (Lab) 588, Paul Stokes (Lab) 435, and Sally Harfield (Con) 388.