CONSERVATIVES in Hyndburn will step aside to allow independent candidate Adrian Shurmer to launch a straight fight with Labour leader George Slynn at next month's borough elections.

Mr Shurmer will attempt to wrestle power from Coun Slynn in Netherton, Great Harwood, after the Tories decided not to field an opponent.

The former police driving instructor who has produced a guidebook and map of the borough, is hoping to unseat the leader who had a majority of 744 in 1995.

Labour is defending all 16 seats on May 6, with the Tories needing to snatch 12 to take control. Nominations for the polls have now closed.

The Conservatives, hoping to build on last year's election success and seize control of the town hall, have also revealed their candidates in two Oswaldtwistle wards.

Postal worker Denise Armstrong will take on Labour's Sheelagh Delaney in Immanuel, while her husband Bill Goldsmith, bidding for a return to the Labour ranks after defeat in 1998, faces Tory hopeful George Griffiths in St Oswald's. Mr Griffiths, a retired policeman, founded Hyndburn and Rossendale Victim Support in 1987.

A number of other independent candidates will also stand, including former councillor Ted Hillman who is hoping to win in Spring Hill after he was deselected by the Labour Party last year.

But Ray Bennett will not be standing for the Liberal Democrats in Central after party bosses decided not to field a candidate in the ward.

(asterisk denotes sitting councillor)

ALTHAM

P Cottam (Con)

M Parkinson (Lab)*

R Pinder (Ind)

C Stone (Ind)

BARNFIELD

J Battle (Lab)

S Crooks (Con)

R Moss (Lib Dem)

BAXENDEN

T Bushell (Lab)

John Griffiths (Con)

L Jones (Lib Dem)

CENTRAL

A Hussain (Lab)*

A Mohammed (Con)

CHURCH

J Grime (Lab)*

M Raynor (Con) CLAYTON-LE-MOORS

S Haworth (Con)

A Smith (Lab)

EACHILL

J Butler (Con)

H Tootle (Lab)*

HUNCOAT

D Deakin (Con)

S Walsh (Lab)

IMMANUEL

D Armstrong (Con)

S Delaney (Lab)

MILNSHAW

I Ormerod (Lab)*

M Pritchard (Ind)

P Taylor (Con)

NETHERTON

A Shurmer (Ind)

G Slynn (Lab)* OVERTON

D Forshaw (Lab)*

L Wilson (Con)

PEEL

M Keegan (Lab)

D Wolstenholme (Con)

SPRING HILL

M Akram (Con)

E Dunston (Lab)*

E Hillman (Ind)

ST ANDREW'S

M Cowell (Lab)*

S Hindle (Con)

ST OSWALD'S

B Goldsmith (Lab)

G Griffiths (Con)

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