IT will be a six-horse race in the North Tawton by-election due to take place on September 21.

The six candidates will fight for two seats on the parish council, made vacant by the departure of Tony Bishop and Jackie Sullivan who left to pursue other interests.

Town clerk Alison Baker said she was pleased to see so many candidates standing for council which she described as 'good for local democracy'.

At last year's local election, 12 candidates stood for the 12 seats on the parish council and were elected unopposed.

Hoping for a seat is Paul Baker, a grass maintenance contractor from North Tawton who has served on parish councils elsewhere.

Mr Baker is company secretary of the North Tawton Environmental Trust.

He said it was a particularly interesting and challenging time for the community with all sorts of things going on such as the new local plan for development, traffic management proposals and working towards a sustainable community.

Insurance advisor Ann Brereton is the ex-chairman of the North Tawton council. She was unable to stand for election last May as her papers got lost in the post.

She said: 'Personally, I believe very much in the election process but as my papers did not go in last time there was no election.

'I felt I let people down so I am putting up again at the nearest opportunity.'

Mrs Brereton said she was born in North Tawton but had also lived elsewhere so felt she could relate well to both local people and new residents.

Like his fellow candidate, plant operator John Crang feels strongly that the members sitting on the council should be the 'people's choice'.

'I have put my name in the hat to make sure there is an election and I would like to be involved in matters affecting the town,' he said.

As chairman of North Tawton Football Club and the Scouts, electrician Pat Ward said he would like to represent the young people and expand on the good community spirit which already existed in the town.

Plumbing and heating engineer Stephen Whiteley, a former member of North Tawton Town Council, said democracy was the fairest form of government and if six people had put up for two seats they must be worth fighting for.

'I had to give up being a councillor last year because of problems in my personal life,' he said.

'Things have got better for me recently and I have more time to put to the council— I may not be the greatest councillor in the world but I always put the other point of view.'

The sixth candidate is local businessman David Simmons.