Candidates announced for local elections

The three main political parties will be represented at the polls in the three boroughs, with the British National Party and a smattering of independents bidding to be councillors.

The Lib Dem and Tory alliance, in control at Burnley, has a three-member majority, with 15 seats up for grabs.

Deputy council leader Margaret Lishman will defend her Briercliffe seat and Tory leader Coun Peter Doyle, executive finance member, is to contest his Whittlefield with Ightenhill position.

Coun Andy Tatchell, Labour group leader in Burnley, is defending his Gawthorpe seat.

Council leader Gordon Birtwistle's son Justin, for the Lib Dems, will challenge Labour deputy chief Coun Mark Towsend in Gannow.

And Cliviger with Worsthorne promises to be a fierce battleground, with five candidates vying for seats, including former British National Party local leader Steven Smith.

He will represent the England First Party, which he chairs, against Labour, Lib Dem and the Con-servatives.

Coun Sharon Wilkinson, current leader of Burnley BNP, is up for election in Hapton with Park ward.

The BNP's John Rowe, who lost out in a High Court battle with Paul Reynolds over a council seat in Rosegrove with Lower-house, will contest the same ward again in May.

The Lib Dems are defending their seven-seat majority in Pendle, with 17 spots up for grabs, includ-ing two in Boulsworth ward.

Council leader Alan Davies defends his seat against the challenge of Tory county councillor Mike Calvert.

And Nelson committee chairman Coun David Foster will battle Labour's Eileen Ansar in his Cloverhill ward.

The British National Party is fielding candidates in Craven, Marsden Vivary Bridge and Waterside Several close-fought cont-ests could see a change in power in Rossendale, where the Conservatives are in control with 18 seats.

But with 13 Labour mem-bers, two Lib Dems, two Ind-ependents and a vacancy in Whitewell ward, the situation is finely balanced.

Cabinet members Coun Janet Graham and Coun Judith Driver, defend their Cribden and Greensclough seats respectively.

The BNP is standing in four seats.

>> WHO'S RUNNING WHERE

Burnley

Bank Hall: Paul Coates (Con); Julie Cooper (Lab); Raja Asif (Lib Dem).

Briercliffe: Laurence Embley (Lab); Margaret Lishman (Lib Dem); Susan Nutter (Con); Patricia Thomson (BNP).

Brunshaw: Arthur Coates (Con); David Halsall (Lab); Paul McDevitt (BNP); Linda White (Lib Dem).

Cliviger with Worsthorne: Michael Heys (Con); Brenda Lambert (Lab); Paula Riley (Lib Dem); Ben Smalley (BNP); Steven Smith (EFP).

Coalclough with Deerplay: Scott Atkinson (BNP); Charles Bullas (Lib Dem); Joanne Whittaker (Lab).

Daneshouse with Stoneyholme: Shah Hussain (Lab); Mohammed Malik (Lib Dem).

Gannow: Justin Birtwistle (Lib Dem); John Cave (BNP); Sharon Everitt (Con); Mark Townsend (Lab).

Gawthorpe: Denise Embra (Lib Dem); Barry Robinson (Con); Andy Tatchell (Lab); Christopher Vanns (BNP).

Hapton with Park: Jean Cunningham (Lab); Vincent McCrae (Lib Dem); Alan Marsden (Con); Sharon Wilkinson (BNP).

Lanehead: Bill Brindle (Lib Dem); Peter Kenyon (Lab); Michael Raistrick (Con).

Queensgate: Bill Bennett (Lib Dem); Abid Sharif (Lab); Brent Whittam (Con).

Rosehill with Burnley Wood: Colette Bailey (Lab); Karen Heseltine (Lib Dem); David Tierney (Con).

Rosegrove with Lowerhouse: Lynne Briggs (Lib Dem); Peter Raistrick (Con); John Rowe (BNP); Marion Smith (Lab).

Trinity: Martyn Hurt (Lib Dem); Tony Lambert (Lab); Thomas Picton (Con); David Shapcott (BNP).

Whittlefield with Ightenhill: Angela Donovan (Lab); Peter Doyle (Con); Michael McHugh (Lib Dem); Joan Shapcott (BNP).

Pendle

Barrowford: Anthony Beckett (Con); Michael Bradshaw (Lib Dem); Susan Nike (Lab).

Boulsworth: George Askew (Con); Michael Calvert (Con); Alan Davies (Lib Dem); Gerard McCabe (Lab); John Pope (Lab); David Robertson (Lib Dem).

Bradley: Zahid Chaudhy (Con); Jamil Mohammed (Lib Dem); Mohammed Sakib (Lab).

Brierfield: Naeem Ashraf (Lab); Ann Marie Jackson (Con); Francis Wren (Lib Dem).

Cloverhill: Eileen Ansar (Lab); Timothy Eyre (Con); David Foster (Lib Dem).

Coates: Marjorie Adams (Lib Dem); Keith Bailey (Con); William Skinner (Lab).

Craven: Sandra Bunn (Con); Shelley Franklin (Lib Dem); Robert Oliver (Lab); Geoffrey Whitehead (BNP); Glenn Whittaker (Ind).

Earby: David Foat (Lab); Valerie Langtree (Con); Jacqueline Taylforth (Lib Dem).

Horsfield: Smith Benson (Con); Anthony Hargreaves (Lab); Dorothy Lord (Lib Dem).

Marsden: Adam Grant (BNP); Dorothy Ormerod (Lab); Gary Rowland (Con); Mark Upward (Lib Dem).

Reedley: Mubashir Ali (Lib Dem); Robert Allen (Lab); Michael Blomeley (Con).

Southfield: Paul McKenna (Con); Judith Robinson (Lib Dem); Sheila Wicks (Lab).

Vivary Bridge: Glennda Clegg (Lib Dem); Veronica Cullen (BNP); Geoffrey Riley (Con); Ian Tweedie (Lab).

Walverden: Asghar Ali (Lib Dem); Mohammed Khalid (Lab); Barbara King (Con).

Waterside: Anthony Greaves (Lib Dem); James Ilott (Con); Anthony Martin (Lab); Helen Milligan (BNP); Ian Robinson (Ind).

Whitefield: Nadeem Ahmed (Lib Dem); Victoria Landriau (Con); Mohammed Tariq (Lab).

Rossendale

Cribden: Andrea Fletcher (Lab); Janet Graham (Con); Bob Sheffield (Lib Dem) Eden: John Pilling (Lab); Darryl Smith (Con).

Facit & Shawforth: Lynda Barnes (Con); Michael Crossley (BNP); Reggie Lane (Lib Dem); Ian Mycock (Lab); Karen Ruane (Ind).

Goodshaw: Judy Bates (Con); Dorothy Farrington (Lab).

Greenfield: Sadquat Amin (Lib Dem); John McManus (Lab); Gladys Sandiford (Con).

Greensclough: Michael Carr (Lib Dem); Dale Connearn (Lab); Judith Driver (Con); Peter Salt (BNP).

Hareholme: Amanda Hewlett (Lab); Nicola Lynn (Con).

Helmshore: Cliff Adamson (Lib Dem); Peter Evans (Con); Emma Harding (Lab); Noel O'William (Ind).

Irwell: Kevin Bryan (BNP); Tina Durkin (Lab); Hazel Steen (Con).

Longholme: Leonard Entwistle (Ind); Jason Gledhill (Con), Maurice Jones (Lab).

Whitewell: Trisha Dearden (Lab); Tim Nuttall (Lib Dem); Matthew Perry (BNP); Jim Pilling (Lib Dem); Michael Wilkinson (Lab).

Worsley: Ann Kenyon (Lab); David Stansfield (Con).