Four or more candidates will go head-to-head in each of Watford’s 12 electoral wards when voters head to the polls next week.

Of the 36 places at Watford Borough Council, one third of councillors – one in each ward - will be elected next Thursday, May 5.

In 11 wards, the incumbent councillors will hope to retain their seat on the council.

However, Park ward will have a new councillor after Bernadette Laventure decided not to stand for re-election, serving just one four year term.

She will be replaced by the winner from Peter Jeffree (Liberal Democrats), Mike Jones (Labour), Alex MacGregor Mason (Green), David Penn (UKIP) and Linda Topping (Conservative).

Elsewhere, Emma Collins (Labour), Patricia Gollop (Liberal Democrats) and Guy Miller (Conservative) will challenge Steve Rackett (Green Party) for his Callowland ward seat.

Liberal Democrat candidate Helen Lynch, only elected to represent Central ward last October after the resignation of Sheila Smillie, will hope to retain her seat against Carole Bamford (Conservative), Fred Grindrod (Labour), Dorothy Nixon (Green) and Renie Price (UKIP).

Former councillor Janet Baddeley (Liberal Democrat), Neil Punter (Conservative) and Alison Wiesner (Green) will have their names on the ballot paper alongside incumbent Nigel Bell (Labour) in Holywell ward.

In Leggatts ward, Amanda Grimston (Conservative) will face challenges from Ian Brandon (Green), Asif Khan (Labour) and Dennis Wharton (Liberal Democrats).

Dave Ealey (Conservative), incumbent Sue Greenslade (Liberal Democrats), Iain Wadey (Green) and Seamus Williams (Labour) hope to be elected in Meriden ward.

Liberal Democrat candidate Andrew Forrest, the current councillor, will hope to retain his majority against Michael Barnes (Labour), Sally Ivins (Green) and Camilla Khawaja (Conservative) in Nascot ward.

Four candidates – Dick Bamford (Conservative), Christine Chandler (Green), incumbent Shirena Counter (Liberal Democrat) and Susan Sleeman (Labour) – have been nominated to represent Oxhey.

Derek Scudder (Liberal Democrat) will hope to keep his Stanborough ward seat against Caryn Argun (Green), Penny Edwards (Conservative) and Adeyemi Oshunniyi (Labour).

In Tudor ward, the five candidates include Dan Channing (UKIP), Youseffe Fahmy (Conservative), incumbent Kelly McLeod (Liberal Democrat), Geoffrey Pearce (Labour) and Clare Pitkin (Green).

Five candidates are also up for election in Vicarage ward. They are Paul Baker (independent), incumbent Shameem Khan (Liberal Democrats), Sally Punter (Conservative), Nasreen Shah (Labour) and Helen Wynne (Green).

Current council chairman Alan Burtenshaw (Liberal Democrats) will face challenges for his Woodside ward seat from Paula Brodhurst (Green), Tony Rogers (Conservative) and John Young (Labour).

Voters will also be asked to vote on whether they support changing the way MPs are elected to Parliament by changing the voting system from First Past the Post to the Alternative Vote system.

Visit the Watford Observer website next Friday, May 6 to find out who has been elected in each ward.