The candidates for May’s district council elections have been announced, with a total of 27 hopefuls contesting 12 seats across Sidmouth, Ottery St Mary and Newton Poppleford.

The election will be held on May 7.

The candidates, who were announced by East Devon District Council this morning, are as follows:

Sidmouth Town

Matthew Booth – Independent East Devon Alliance

John Dyson –

Cathy Gardner – Independent East Devon Alliance

Sheila Kerridge – Conservative

Frances Newth – Conservative

Peter Sullivan – Conservative

Sidmouth Sidford

Jack Brokenshire – Independent

Stuart Hughes – Conservative

Dawn Manley - Independent East Devon Alliance

Ian McKenzie-Edwards – Conservative

Lewis Ragbourn – Liberal Democrats

Marianne Rixson - Independent East Devon Alliance

Debbie Tallis - Independent East Devon Alliance

Graham Troman – Conservative

Sidmouth Rural

David Barratt – Independent

Christine Drew – Conservative

Ottery St Mary Town

Andrew Blackwell – Labour

Peter Faithfull – Independent

Roger Giles – Independent

Nick Partridge - Conservative

Tim Venner – Conservative

Ottery St Mary Rural

Alasdair Bruce – Conservative

Paul Carter – Conservative

Matt Coppell – Independent East Devon Alliance

Crawford Winlove - Independent East Devon Alliance

Newton Poppleford and Harpford

Patsy Hayman - Conservative

Val Ranger - Independent East Devon Alliance