VOTERS will go to the polls on Thursday for the Great Yarmouth Borough Council elections. The Liberal Democrats, UKIP and the Green party are all fielding candidates with the Conservative and Labour parties standing in all 13 wards.

VOTERS will go to the polls on Thursday for the Great Yarmouth Borough Council elections.

The Liberal Democrats, UKIP and the Green party are all fielding candidates with the Conservative and Labour parties standing in all 13 wards.

The Lib Dems will be hoping to add a little extra colour to the local politics scene by fighting in six wards.

UKIP has three candidates standing in the election while the Green party will fight in two wards.

The Liberal Democrats hope to build on the party's good showing in the by-election for Hopton and Bradwell South. Although candidate Aleck Buchanan was pipped by the Tories he still polled 397 votes, a 30pc increase on the 2007 vote in what is considered a safe Conservative seat.

Mr Buchanan will stand in the Hopton and Bradwell South ward in May against the current seat holder Tory Stephen Ames.

Another ward being watched closely is Central and Northgate where 18-year-old A-level politics student Tom Garrod is fighting long standing Labour heavyweight and former mayor Mike Taylor.

How they line up:

Bradwell North

Alan Grey (Con)

Alan, of Church Lane, Gorleston, owns and manages a music shop in the High Street and used to work as an entertainer playing at local holiday parks. He has lived in Gorleston for more than 10 years and this is his first time as standing as a candidate.

John Loades (Lib Dem)

Trevor Wainwright (Labour)*

Trevor, of Lapwing Close, Bradwell, has represented the ward for seven years and has dealt with a number of issues during that time including campaiging against the sale of the Lynn Grove playing field for housing development. He is a governor at Hillside First School, trustee of the Mill Lane Community Centre and a member of the Children's Centre management committee.

Bradwell South and Hopton

Aleck Buchanan (Lib Dem)

Aleck, of Watsons Close, stood in February's by-election and took 31pc of the vote, losing out to the Tories. He has been involved in several local projects including Hopton in Bloom, Hopton Times magazine and he is a former chairman of Hopton Village Hall Committee. He also led the campaign Broadband for Hopton which brought high speed internet connection to the area.

Colin Aldred (UKIP)

Colin, 63, stood in this ward at the by-election earlier this year and polled nine per cent of the vote. He was born and grew up in Lowestoft and has lived in Hopton for 20 years. Colin, of Groomes Close, served in the Royal Navy for 15 years and is a qualified nurse. He now works as a security officer.

Joanne Vriesema (Labour)

Joanne, 28 of Mill Lane, Bradwell, was born and grew up in the borough and was inspired to get into politics through her charity work with Open Door after the late Sue Robinson visited the charity in her role as mayor. Joanne is a former pupil of Lynn Grove High School and Yarmouth College. She works at Superdrug.

Stephen Ames (Con)*

Stephen has represented Bradwell South and Hopton for the past four years and has helped many residents with problems. He lives on Coast Road in the village.

Central and Northgate

Anthony Harris (Lib Dem)

Gabriele Baugh (UKIP)

Gabriele, 44 and of Bermondsey Place West, Yarmouth, was born in a small town in Germany and moved to Yarmouth in 1989. She works for Norfolk County Council as a Home Support Assistant and became an active member of UKIP three ago after studying the European Union. Gabriele is married to Paul who is also standing as a candidate in May's elections.

Mike Taylor (Labour)*

Mike has been an elected councillor for 29 years including a year as the mayor of Yarmouth. Mike, of Sandringham Avenue, is closely involved with the regeneration of properties close to the Wellesley Recreation Ground and was, until recently, a member of the outer harbour steering group.

Tom Garrod (Con)

Tom, of Station Road, Ormesby St Margaret, is the youngest candidate standing the election at just 18. He is currently studying politics at East Norfolk Sixth Form College and is a crew member of Caister lifeboat. He also serves on the lifeboat fundraising committee.

Claydon

Margaret Greenacre (Con)

Margaret, of Stepshort, Burgh Castle, has been a member of the Conservative party for 20 years and is standing in the elections to get more involved with borough council affairs. If elected Margaret said she would focus on issues such as better sport and leisure facilities, recycling and getting more Police Community Support Officers on the beat.

Tony Blyth (Labour)*

Tony has represented Claydon since 1989 and during those 19 years has served as both a borough and county councillor and as a member of the Broads Authority.

Tony, 68 of Hawthorn Road, Gorleston, and has solved several problems over the years. He is married and has a grown up son. He spent his working life in the meat trade.

Ralph Woodcock (Green)

Ralph was born in the borough and has lived here all his life. For the last 27 years he has worked for the NHS currently with the community mental health team at Northgate Hospital. In 2003 Ralph he elected as a Labour councillor for Yarmouth North but left the council when wards were re-organised. Ralph is a member of the Independent Monitoring Board for Blundeston Prison and a committee member for the local Alzheimer's Society. He lives Beaconsfield Road.

East Flegg

George Jermany (Con)*

George, of Paddock Farm Drive, Filby, has been a councillor for 12 years and is aware of the problems for his area. He is currently campaigning to keep rural post offices and has been a keen campaigner for improved coastline defences.

Jamie Smith (Labour)

Jamie, 22 of Braddock Road, Caister, has always been keen on politics after serving on student and school councils. He is a former pupil of Caister High School, East Norfolk Sixth Form College in Gorleston and City College in Norwich. Jamie served as vice president for the Norwich City Student's Union representing 16,000 learners and through the board of governors was able to advise the government on learners' views of further education. He currently works as a constituency assistant in the office of local MP Tony Wright.

Rodney Cole (Lib Dem)

Gorleston

Bert Collins (Con)*

Bert, of Lawn Avenue, Yarmouth, has been a councilor for almost 20 years. Since being elected he has chaired a considerable number of committees and currently chairs the King John Charter Committee.

Rex Tyrrell (Labour)

Rex, 51, is a civil servant and lives in Whinchat Way, Bradwell, with his wife. He is a senior lay official with the PCS trade union and believes his experience will allow him to follow up concerns from residents promptly.

Originally from Harwich Rex enjoys watching football and horse racing in his spare time.

Magdalen

Colleen Walker (Labour)*

Colleen, of Paddock Close, Belton, was first elected in 1988 and in that 20 years she has been a campaigner for environmental and housing issues. She was involved with the set up of Seagulls Surestart Centre and also served on the Norfolk Police Authority and believes her efforts resulted in Magdalen being one of the first places to have Police Community Support Officers.

Patricia Page (Con)

Patricia has previously been a councillor for the Magdalen ward and is a well-known local campaigner having worked on projects such as the introduction of wheelie bins. Patricia, of Shrublands Way, Gorleston, has won awards for her dedication to the environment.

Nelson

Anne Purchase-Walker (Green)

Anne, of Exmouth Road, Yarmouth, moved to Norfolk 10 years ago from London and lived for a short while on her own boat on the Broads before settling in Yarmouth. She works for the NHS in public health and has done volunteer work since the age of 14. She organised a sponsored walk for Shelter and has been active with Friends of the Earth in the borough.

Joy Cosaitis (Con)

Joy and her late husband Robert ran the Peace and Plenty as well as the Silver Herring pubs in the town and understands the importance of tourism. Joy, Dickens Avenue, has previously represented the ward on the borough council and still active in the local area.

Michael Jeal (Labour)*

Michael is married with two children and lives in the Nelson ward, which he has represented for 22 years. He had a long career with Norfolk Fire Service and is a former member of the Fire Brigades Union. Michael, of South Beach Parade, currently is chairman of the Peggoty Road Community Centre and is a governor at Greenacre First, Middle and Nursery School.

Ormesby

Charles Reynolds (Con)*

Charles, of Zephyr Close, Caister, has been a councillor for 28 years and owns a local coach company based in Caister. He has opposed large housing developments in his area and is currently campaigning for the protection of the coastline.

Jenny Livingstone (Labour)

Jenny has been involved with local politics for a long time. From 1988 she was borough councillor for St Andrews Ward for 12 years and during that time was involved with several developments, particularly through her role of chair of planning. Jenny, of Queens Road, Yarmouth, is currently a constituency assistant to Yarmouth MP Tony Wright.

St Andrews

Patrick Cook (Con)*

Living in Church Lane Pat is easy to get hold of and has solved a variety of problems for locals including issues around fly-tipping. He also played a vital role in getting a bench repaired and painted by the council.

Gary Fox (Labour)

Gary, 49, has lived in Downing Road, Gorleston, for six years and is new to the local politics scene although has always taken a great interest in local issues. He is married to Karen and is a father of five. Gary also has three grandchildren and says family values are important to him. Gary works as a lorry driver in the waste industry.

Southtown and Cobholm

James Dinsdale (Con)

James, of Bury St Edmunds, works in Southtown and has an understanding of local issues. He attended the recent public meeting in Southtown over the proposed post office closure.

John Brookshaw (Lib Dem)

Paul Baugh (UKIP)

Originally from Dudley in the West Midlands Paul, 42, left his home town in the 1980s and eventually settled in Yarmouth in 1989. He has worked for Royal Mail in the town for 19 years. He is married to Gabriele and had been active member of Great Yarmouth UKIP for about four years.

Penny Linden (Labour)*

Penny has lived in Cobholm for many years and has served on the council for nine years. She is the Labour spokesperson on housing issues and is a campaigner for improved housing and a cleaner environment. Penny supports ward surgeries by MP Tony Wright as well as other community meetings. She is a board member of the Bridge Trust at the Lichfield and Cobholm Resource Centre.

West Flegg

Barry Coleman (Con)*

Barry is well aware of issues faced by local residents after living in the area for 35 years. For the last eight years Barry, of Thurne Rise, Martham, has been leader of the borough council and has played a major part in developments in the borough in recent years.

Katie James (Labour)

Katie, 20, is currently a second year student of philosophy and politics at the UEA in Norwich. She also works as a case worker for MP Tony Wright and as a student ambassador and mentor at the university. In her spare time Katie, of St George's Road, enjoys participating in sports events and recently took part in the Sports Relief run.

Yarmouth North

Charles Marsden (Labour)

Charles has owned a chip stall on Yarmouth Market for the last 50 years and while he still owns a stall he has retired. He is treasurer of the Great Yarmouth Market Traders Association and in his spare time enjoys listening to music.

Charles, of Keyes Avenue, is married to Pat and has four children and six grand children.

Paul Garrod (Con)*

Paul has been a councillor for the last four years and is coming to the end of his mayoral year. He runs the Furzedown Hotel on North Drive and during the past year has visited schools within his ward and many clubs and societies. Paul, of Station Road, Ormesby, is married to Lisa and they have two children William and Katie.