ELECTIONS will be held in 14 of Wyre Forest District Council's 18 wards next Thursday.

This four-page special focus gives all 52 candidates the opportunity to talk directly to Shuttle/Times & News readers.

Voters will also be going to the polls in Hartlebury to elect a councillor to represent the village on Wychavon District Council.

It is a two-horse race between sitting Conservative councillor Muriel Mathews who is being challenged by Labour's Stephen Westwood,

There will also be elections for six wards on Stourport Town Council.

However, contests for five Wyre Forest parish councils will not be needed due to a lack of nominations.

The parishes are Broome, Churchill, Blakedown, Cookley and Wolverley.

In Hartlebury no-one came forward to challenge the existing 13 councillors who were returned unopposed.

Polling stations are open from 8am until 9pm on election day.

Postal voting has been available to anyone since 2001 but the deadline passed yesterday for those who wished to apply for next week's elections.

The system was introduced to cover those who find it inconvenient to get to a polling station or who will be out of the district on election day.

It is understood about 1,500 people have applied for postal votes for next week's poll.