DARWEN Town Council is up for election on Thursday next week on a new political map for the first time.

Voters should have gone to the polls on new ward boundaries last year but the poll was postponed for a 12 months because of coronavirus.

There will still be 13 town councillors elected but from four wards instead of five.

Two long-serving members are standing down - Labour's Pete Hollings and Liberal Democrat Vicky Rothwell.

The coming election, run alongside that for Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council, is not expected to see much change from the current balance of five Labour councillors, four Conservatives and four Liberal Democrats.

It could see two father and son partnerships with Mark Davies seeking to join dad Roy in Darwen East for the LibDems and Ryan Slater looking to win Darwen West and his father Neil standing in Darwen South.

Husband and wife Albert and Liz Johnson are seeking election in Darwen East for Labour.

The three main wards will each elect four town councillors with Darwen South Rural choosing just one from two candidates.

Darwen West Labour candidate Dave Smith, on the body since its foundation in 2009, said: "It should be an interesting election on the new ward boundaries.

"People tend to vote on a mix of personalities and party."

The full list of 27 candidates is:

DARWEN EAST WARD

Paul Browne - Liberal Democrat;

Mark Davies - Liberal Democrat;

Roy Davies - Liberal Democrat

Eileen Entwistle - Labour and Co-operative Party

Simon Huggill - Liberal Democrat

Albert Johnson - Labour Party

Liz Johnson - Labour Party

Martin McCaughran - Labour Party

DARWEN SOUTH WARD

Kevin Connor - Conservative Party

Matt Gibson - Labour Party

Joan Hepple - Liberal Democrat

Laura Higab - Labour Party

Sarah Rose - Labour Party

Jude Rowley - Labour Party

Lilian Salton - Conservative Party

Neil Slater - Conservative Party

Andrew Walker - Conservative Party

DARWEN WEST WARD

Stephanie Brookfield - Labour Party

Janine Crook - Conservative Party

Jonathan Hamer - Labour Party

Lynn Perkins - Conservative Party

Ryan Slater - Conservative Party

David Smith - Labour Party

Brian Taylor - Labour Party

Rob Toner - Conservative Party

DARWEN SOUTH RURAL WARD

John East - Liberal Democrat

Matthew Jackson - Labour Party