THE candidates for a council by-election called following the sudden death of a councillor have been announced.

The by-election, which will be held on Thursday, August 8, will see voters in the city’s Claines ward choose who they want to represent them on Worcester City Council.

The election will take place to choose a new city councillor for Claines following the sudden death of Stuart Denlegh-Maxwell in June.

In many ways, it is a repeat of the battle fought in May when Councillor Andy Stafford was narrowly re-elected for the Conservatives with 1,252 votes - 95 votes ahead of the Liberal Democrats.

Liberal Democrat Mel Allcott returns having regularly pushed the Conservatives close in Claines.

She polled 1,093 votes in 2018, a mere 62 votes behind Stuart Denlegh-Maxwell.

Jules Benham stands for the Conservatives who are hoping to keep their strong hold on Claines.

Labour has again put its faith in the hands of Saiful Islam, who finished in fourth place in Claines with just 145 votes two months ago.

The Labour candidate had previously stood twice – unsuccessfully – in city council elections in St Stephen ward.

Green Party candidate Stephen Dent returns again having finished third in May with 245 votes - but still almost a thousand votes behind winner Cllr Andy Stafford.

Claines has usually been dominated by the Conservative and Liberal Democrat candidates but the Green Party has picked up some votes – peaking with 394 in 2015 – finishing third in May, fourth in 2018 and last by some way in 2016.

UKIP, despite its success in elections for St Peter’s and Warndon parish councils in May, has not put forward a candidate.

The pro-Brexit party finished in last place in May with 137 votes having secured just 42 votes in 2018.