THREE candidates will battle it out for the vacant seat on Okehampton Town Council — and in Okehampton Hamlets it is a two-horse race.

Guest house owner Charles Enderson, the man behind Okehampton Action Forum Patrick Shea and Liberal Democrat Patricia Snell are the candidates for the seat on Okehampton Town Council left vacant by the resignation of Tony Gregory.

Farmer Peter Green and retired prison farm manager Derek Webber are fighting for the seat on Okehampton Hamlets Parish Council.

Both by-elections will be held on Thursday February 15 in the Charter Hall for the town council and Meldon Village Hall for the hamlets council.

Mr Enderson, 56, has lived in Okehampton for 20 years and runs Upcott House with his wife. He said there was so much happening in Okehampton he would like to have a say in the decision-making process.

'The public tend to find out things after they have happened so instead of moaning about it I decided to do something about it,' he said.

Patrick Shea is known for setting up Action Forum, Okehampton, a campaigning group for older people, and the Okehampton Handypersons' scheme, which installs security devices and carries out minor repairs in pensioners' homes.

Mr Shea, who lives in Sticklepath and has an office in Okehampton, is also chairman of the Probus Club and a member of the Lions. He said it was time for some new ideas on the council.

'I feel a bit of new blood is a good thing and one of my intentions would be to see more events going on in Simmons Park.'

A former president of Okehampton WI, Patricia Snell, who is standing as a Liberal Democrat, said she would like to see more done in the town to attract business and shoppers

'The town needs a little tender loving care — the more we put in the more we get out,' she said. 'I would also like to see more youngsters involved in the town's future.'

Both candidates for the Okehampton Hamlets seat are interested in how the expansion of Okehampton is going to effect the hamlets.

Peter Green said with new housing stretching out into the hamlets it was important to have the infrastructure in place to deal with it.

After 36 years as a farm manager in prisons Derek Webber is now retired and feels he has more time to get involved in community matters.

'Being on the fringes of a town, I feel the hamlets has been left out and I would like to see it have more input because a lot of the plans fall into this area,' he said.

Okehampton Town Council recently voted not to issue polling cards for the election which would have cost just over £150. All electors of the parish are eligible to vote.