DEVON county councillor Philip Sanders believes an election in Tavistock next month could attract up to four candidates challenging for the single seat on offer.

The election is being held to fill a vacancy on the Tavistock North ward created by the resignation of independent Steve Hipsey, an organiser of the Tidy Tavi environmental group.

Veteran election campaigner Cllr Sanders, who represents Yelverton rural on the county council, said he was not aware of how many candidates would be contesting the seat, but added: ‘It could be three or four, although it’s difficult to say.

‘It’s a mid-term election and the Government isn’t particularly popular at the moment, but then I don’t think the opposition is, either, so it’s really impossible to tell what will happen.

‘Traditionally, you normally get 20 to 30 per cent of the electorate who turn out to vote, although I would say 20 per cent is the norm and you are lucky if you get higher than that figure.’

An election is scheduled for February 17 if it is contested. It was called because at least two members of Tavistock’s electorate called for it following the advertisement of the vacancy.

Candidates’ nominations must be delivered by hand to the borough council’s returning officer, Steve Mullineaux, by 4pm tomorrow (Friday).