A THIRD of the city council's seats will be up for grabs at next month's election.

Voters in Worcester go to the polls on Thursday, May 6 where 12 seats on Worcester City Council will be contested.

The current political makeup of the city council sees the Conservatives slightly on top with 16 councillors compared to Labour's 15, the Green's three and the single Liberal Democrat.

Labour's Joy Squires will be standing for re-election in the city's Arboretum ward, having won by 568 votes last time, taking on Karen Lewing for the Green Party, Anja Potze for the Conservatives and Jon Taylor for the Lib Dems.

In Battenhall, Louis Stephen, the council's Green group leader, is looking to keep hold of the ward having claimed victory with 1,081 votes five years ago.

Turnout in Battenhall was much higher than the rest of the city in 2016 at 54 per cent.

This time he is up against the Liberal Democrats' Ken Carpenter, Labour's Paul Mountain and Peter Rodford for the Conservatives.

Alan Amos will again be standing in Bedwardine for the Conservatives hoping to keep hold of the ward he won by more than 400 votes in 2016.

Labour's Sue Smith, Frazer Bufton for the Green Party, the Liberal Democrats John Ondreasz and Leisa Taylor for the Women's Equality Party will all be hoping to claim victory in Bedwardine.

One of three spaces will be up for grabs in the city's Cathedral ward with Labour's Lynn Denham standing for re-election after winning by more than 580 votes last time.

Six candidates are standing next month with Julie Bower for Reform UK, Hannah Cooper for the Green Party, Shafaz Ditta, grandson of former mayor and current Cathedral councillor Allah Ditta, standing for the Conservatives, Mark Fenton for the Lib Dems and Archie Harrison for the Trade Union and Socialist Coalition all hoping to snatch it from Labour.

Tory James Stanley will not be contesting the Claines seat he claimed in 2016 with Louie Lynch standing for the Conservatives this time out and will be looking for victory in Gorse Hill instead.

James Linsey for Labour, Karen Lawrence for the Lib Dems, Paul Hickling for Reform UK and Stephen Dent for the Green Party are all hoping for victory in a three-councillor Claines ward that is currently shared by one Lib Dem and one Tory councillor.

Roger Berry is standing for re-election in the city's Gorse Hill ward for Labour with James Stanley for the Conservatives aiming to make the move from Claines.

Susan Avery for the Greens and Alison Morgan for the Lib Dems are also standing in the ward.

In the city's Nunnery ward, which was comfortably won by Labour's Tracey Biggs by more than 700 votes in 2016, Zoe Cookson will be hoping to keep hold for Labour.

Clive Fetcher is standing for the Liberal Democrats alongside Barbara Mitra for the Greens, Carl Mason for British Resistance and Jim Carver for the Conservatives.

The council's deputy leader and Labour group leader Adrian Gregson is hoping to be re-elected in Rainbow Hill and will be standing against Parveen Akhtar for the Conservatives, Stephen Brohan for the Green Party, the Lib Dems' Sue Carpenter and Calvin Fowler for the Trade Union and Socialist Coalition.

In St Clement ward, Simon Geraghty will be aiming for re-election for the Conservatives, having secured the win by a 248 vote margin last time, with Peter Jackson for the Lib Dems, Victoria Pingree for the Greens and Paul Walters for Labour all standing against him.

There will be a new face in St John's with Robyn Norfolk standing for Labour instead of Chris Cawthorne who won by more than 560 votes in 2016.

Alaric Stephen for the Greens, Steve Mather for the Lib Dems, Mark Davies for the Trade Union and Socialist Coalition and Joseph Amos for the Conservatives will all be hoping to snatch a victory.

Neil Laurenson is standing for re-election in St Stehen ward for the Green Party having won by 336 votes in 2016. Christopher Giles for Labour, Sam Ness for the Conservatives and Simon Cottingham for the Lib Dems are standing against him.

Ceri Stalker is hoping for re-election in Warndon, having secured a victory in a 2018 by-election and will be standing against the Lib Dems' Sarah Murray, Owen Cleary for the Conservatives and Sarah Dukes for the Greens.