THE candidates for May’s elections have been confirmed with the publication of the statement of nominated persons by BCP Council.

Alongside the election for Dorset’s police and crime commissioner, two council by-elections will also take place on May 6 to replace the two councillors who died last year.

No vote will take place for the new Throop and Holdenhurst parish council with all of the seven candidates automatically elected due to the low number of nominees.

Five people will contest the police and crime commissioner election to replace incumbent Martyn Underhill who has announced he will not seek re-election in order to retire.

They are Labour’s Patrick Canavan, independent Dan Hardy, Liberal Democrat Mark Robson, Claire Seymour of the Green Party and Conservative David Sidwick.

By-elections will be held for the Commons ward in Christchurch and for Canford Heath following the deaths of Christchurch Independent councillor Colin Bungey and Liberal Democrat Pete Parrish last year.

Cllr Bungey died in April 2020 and Cllr Parrish in July but coronavirus restrictions have meant voting for their replacements could not take place until May.

The deadline for candidates to be put forward for any of the elections was Thursday and BCP Council, which oversees the voting, confirmed the nominees on Friday morning.

Voting will take place on May 6.