THE leader of Wyre Forest District Council is one of 50 candidates who will battle it out in May's local elections.

Stephen Clee and his Conservative group will be looking to take overall control of the authority, with 14 of the 42 seats up for grabs when voters go to the polls on Thursday, May 4.

Currently, there are 18 Conservative, eight Liberal, eight Health Concern, four Labour, two Liberal Democrat and two Independent members on the council.

Councillor Clee and his fellow cabinet member, John-Paul Campion, will be hoping to retain their seats, representing Bewdley & Arley and Sutton Park, respectively.

Also fighting for the Bewdley & Arley seat are Elizabeth Davies (Health Concern) and Paul Gittins (Labour).

Raymond Barber (Health Concern), Clive Parsons (Liberal Democrat) and Leroy Wright (Labour) will be competing to represent Sutton Park.

John Aston, elected for the Tories in November's Aggborough & Spennells by-election following the death of his wife, Maureen, who represented the ward, will be back on the campaign trail.

Also standing are John Griffiths (Health Concern), Adrian Sewell (Labour), Kate Spohrer (Green Party) and Samantha Walker (Liberal Democrat).

Irene Dolan, of Health Concern, has decided not to defend her seat at Lickhill due to ill health.

She has suffered from Crohn's disease, an inflammatory bowel disease, since 1986 and said she no longer felt well enough to continue.

The 58-year-old, who has been a district councillor for 10 years, added: "I thought it was time to stop and let someone else have a go. It was a hard decision to make. The main reason I enjoyed being a councillor was the variety of work."

Liberal, Amanda Poole, who represents Broadwaters, has also chosen not to stand.

Anthony Williams, of Health Concern, will not be defending his Wribbenhall seat but will, instead, be contesting Blakedown and Chaddesley.

There will be 34 candidates competing for 13 seats on Bewdley Town Council and 19 candidates will be contesting 11 seats on Chaddesley Corbett Parish Council.

The only other parish election will be staged in the Pound Green ward for Upper Arley Parish Council where five candidates will battle for three seats.

In five other parishes the number of seats exceeded the list of nominations and so all candidates will be elected without the need for a ballot.

Full list of candidates

DISTRICT ELECTIONS

Aggborough & Spennells: John Aston (Conservative), John Griffiths (Health Concern), Adrian Sewell (Labour), Kate Spohrer (Green), Samantha Walker (Liberal Democrat).

Areley Kings: Michael Partridge (Conservative), Cedric Smith (Labour), Nigel Thomas (Health Concern).

Bewdley & Arley: Stephen Clee (Conservative), Elizabeth Davies (Health Concern), Paul Gittins (Labour).

Blakedown & Chaddesley: James Brown (Labour), Pauline Hayward (Conservative), Anthony Williams (Health Concern).

Broadwaters: Mumshad Ahmed (Conservative), Stephen Hill (Labour), Timothy Ingham (Liberal Party- Focus, Save Our Hospital) and Howard Martin (Health Concern).

Franche: Tony Hinton (Conservative), Nigel Knowles (Labour) and Michael Shellie (Health Concern).

Greenhill: Margaret Bradley (Health Concern), Geoffrey Bulmer (Conservative), Dean Cox (Labour), Rachel Lewis (Liberal Party-Focus, Save our Hospital), Tavis Pitt (Independent).

Habberley & Blakebrook: Arthur Buckley (Conservative), George Eeles (Health Concern), David Prain (Labour).

Lickhill: Donovan Giles (Labour), Christopher Rogers (Conservative), Dixon Sheppard (Health Concern).

Mitton: Patricia Rimell (Health Concern), Michael Salter (Conservative), Gary Watson (Labour).

Offmore & Comberton: Roy Darkes (Labour), Siriol Hayward (Liberal Party-Focus, Save our Hospital), Tracey Onslow (Conservative) and Keith Robertson (Health Concern).

Oldington & Foley Park: Adrian Beavis (Liberal), Cally Godfrey (Health Concern), Susan Meekings (Conservative) and Paul Mills (Labour).

Sutton Park: Raymond Barber (Health Concern), John-Paul Campion (Conservative), Clive Parsons (Liberal), Leroy Wright (Labour).

Wribbenhall: Jennifer Knowles (Labour), Anne Mace (Health Concern), Gordon Yarranton (Conservative).

PARISH ELECTIONS

Bewdley Town Council, East (four seats): Janette Adams (Conservative), Mary Friend (Conservative), Carol Gittins (Labour), Paul Gittins (Labour), William Jones (Conservative), Julie Keen (Health Concern), Ann Lyman (Health Concern), William Mason (Labour), Gordon Yarranton (Conservative), Roslyn Zalin (Labour).

Bewdley Town Council, West (four seats): John-Paul Campion (C onservative), Stephen Clee (Conservative), Louise Edginton (Working for Bewdley Residents), Christine Jones (Labour), Gren Jones (Labour), Derek Killingworth (Health Concern), Sean McCahern (Conservative), Albert Ward (Conservative), Anthony Williams (Health Concern), Flora Wright (Labour), Anthony Zalin (Labour).

Bewdley Town Council, Wribbenhall (five seats): Robert Bash (Labour), Arthur Buckley (Conservative), Geoffrey Bulmer (Conservative), Liz Davies (Health Concern), John Foulkes (Conservative), John Gretton (Labour), Marcus Hart (Conservative), Jennifer Knowles (Labour), Nigel Knowles (Labour), Anne Mace (Health Concern), Geoffrey Morgan (Health Concern), Gary Talbot (Conservative).

Chaddesley Corbett (11 seats): Valerie Adams, Kenneth Bartlett, Michael Bird, Janet Fox, Michael Gibbs, Harry Grove, Martin Harvey, Roger Higgins, Liz Mack, Phyllis Pardoe, Christopher Rowberry, David Spencer, Leo Stockford, Jonathon Swift, Philip Tetstall, David Thomas, Geoffrey Vernon, Martin Walford, Stephen Williams.

Upper Arley, Pound Green (three seats): David Bell, Arthur Cheadle, Dennis Docker, Edwin Gatehouse, John Tweedale.

NO CONTESTS

As there are insufficient candidates to warrant elections, candidates are elected without contest in the following wards.

Kidderminster Foreign (seven seats): James Briggs, Benjamin Corfield, Carole Gammond, Christine Halford, Ronald Jennings, John Wardle, Gordon Yarranton.

Rushock (seven seats): Judith Bromage, John Jennings, Laurence McCurrich, Norman Nicholls, David Palmer, Hazel Talbot, Thomas Wilson.

Stone (nine seats): James Arbuthnott, Roger Dudfield, Michael Gough, Paula Gould, Roger Hobson, Elaine Hyde, John Jordan, Michael Talbot.

Upper Arley, Village (three seats): Charles Beer, Andrew Gerry, Bernard Lilley.

Upper Arley, Shatterford (three seats): David Cox, Graham Rickhuss, Thomas Whatmore.