THE full list of candidates standing in the West Somerset Council district elections on Thursday, May 5, has been announced.

Overall, 63 candidates are standing, with 27 district council seats to be contested and only the Greater Exmoor seat unchallenged.

Five parish and town councils or wards are contested and the remaining 38 are not contested.

Voters will be able to choose between the following politicians (candidates listed in alphabetical order.

Alcombe (two councillors to be elected): Paul Nicholas Grierson (Con); Andy Lewis (Lab); Ian Rory Melhuish (Ind); Venetia Moore (Green); Ernest Stanley Taylor (Ind).

Brendon Hills (one): Nick Moore (Ind); Keith Harden Turner (Con).

Carhampton and Withycombe (one): Bill Butcher (Ind); Tim Taylor (Con).

Crowcombe and Stogumber (one): Roy Harbour (Ind); Jamie Robertson (Green); Anthony Henry Trollope-Bellew (Con).

Dulverton and District (two): Bruce Heywood (Con); David Lungley (Ind); Keith John Ross (Ind); Kathy Smith (Con).

Dunster and Timberscombe (one): Alec Martin Chick (Con); Nicky Gibbard (Green); Gary Anthony Miele (Ind).

Greater Exmoor (one): Steven John Pugsley (Con).

Minehead Central (three): Mandy Jayne Chilcott (Con); John Denis Clyde-Smith (Ind); Cait Collins (Green); Lesley Culverhouse (Lab); Simon Charles Gibbard (Green); Stephen Grice (Ind); Andrew Peter Hadley (Ind); Richard Lillis (Con); Ernest Stanley Taylor (Ind).

Minehead North (two): Katy Attwater (Green); Steve Pickard (no party given); Doug Ross (Ind); David Jack Sanders (Con).

Minehead South (two): Sandra Jean Slade (no party given); Les Smith (Con); Maureen Ann Smith (Lab); David Taylor (Green); Tristan Dan Tonks (Con).

Old Cleeve (two): Martin Dewdney (Con); Ian Galloway (Lib Dem); Jude Johnson-Smith (Green); Kate Victoria Kravis (Con); David Leslie Latimer (Green).

Porlock and District (two): Jon Freeman (Ind); Nick Messarra (Con); Karen Maria Mills(Con).

Quantock Vale (two): Sue Goss (Con); Chris Morgan (Con); Paul Anthony Tipney (Ind).

Watchet (three): Anthony Charles Bowden (Lib Dem); Tony Knight (Con); Peter Howard Murphy (Lab); John Richards (Ind); Bruce Scott (Green); Izzy Silvester (Green); Ann Snelling (Con); David James Westcott (Con); Loretta Anne Whetlor (Ind).

West Quantock (one): Geoffrey Stuart Dowding (Con); Miriam Robertson (Green).

Williton (two): Hugh John William Davies (Ind); Edwin May (no party given); Rosemary Woods Con).

EIGHT parish and town councils, or their wards, are being contested while the remaining 35 are not being contested.

Candidates standing for contested parish elections are:

Bicknoller (seven councillors to be elected): Michael Svend Winwood Andersen (no party given); John Grellier (no party given); Carolyn Anne Lighton (no party given); Brian Edward Lloyd (no party given); Nicola Russell (no party given); Chris Skinner (no party given); Desmond Venner (no party given); Chris Warren (no party given).

Crowcombe (seven): Tony Brooks (no party given); Jane Chipp (no party given); Bob Druitt (no party given); Roy Harbour (no party given); John Laurence Hughes (Ind); Dennis Lock (no party given); Tony Motture (no party given); Anthony Newman (no party given).

Dulverton (seven): Rod Coyne (no party given); Christine Sharon Dubery (no party given); Ian Fleming (no party given); Bernard How (no party given); Christopher George Nelder (no party given); Margaret Lucy Rawle (Guest House Proprietor) Keith John Ross (no party given); Leslie Michael Bernard Silverlock (no party given); Tony Snell (no party given); Nick Thwaites (no party given); Michael Willison (Retired).

Dunster (11): Biddy Bale (no party given); Ashleigh John Bishop (no party given); Carol Ell (no party given); Leslie Alvan Griffiths (no party given); Martin Harborne (no party given); Graham Francis Lamacraft (no party given); David Hinchcliffe Murray (no party given); Cliff Nicholson (no party given); Christine Frances Oliver (no party given); Christine Sadler (no party given); Kevin John Sadler (no party given); Kevin Sully (no party given); Paul Anthony Toogood (no party given); Alan Vicary (no party given); Angela Mary Webber (Retired) Philip Andrew Webber (no party given); Geoff Witherford (no party given).

Minehead Alcombe (four): Paul Nicholas Grierson (Con); Marcus Dov Kravis (Ind); Danny McGee (Lab); Ernest Stanley Taylor (Ind); Valerie Welch (Ind).

Minehead Central (five): Anna Charlotte Blake (Ind); Tony Bullen (Minehead Resident 37 Years); John Dennis Clyde-Smith (Ind); Mark Dana (Ind); Stephen Grice (Ind); Oliver Crombie Harvey(Ind); Ernest Stanley Taylor (Ind); Minehead North (three): Ron Bridle (Ind); Gary Anthony Miele (Ind); Steve Pickard (Ind); Terry John Venner (Ind).

Watchet (12): Hazel Grace Bowden (no party given); Anne Carol Cleveland (no party given); Sally Olivia De Renzy-Martin(no party given); Ruth Gavenlock (no party given); Linda Irene Hart (no party given); John Irven (no party given); Cosmo James Theodore Johnson (no party given); Peter Howard Murphy (Lab) Alex Reynard (no party given); John Richards (no party given); Janet Ann Tapp (no party given); Marie May Thorne (no party given); David James Westcott (no party given); Loretta Anne Whetlor (no party given); Michael Bryan Whetlor (no party given).

You can follow the build-up to polling day in the County Gazette over the coming weeks and check out election stories on this website.