SIX candidates will contest the by-election for the vacant Harper Green seat next month.

The vote will take place on Thursday, October 16, and is being held after the death of previous incumbent, Labour councillor Asher Ali Ismail, who died at the age of 34 after a battle with cancer.

All five political parties are putting a candidate forward to contest the seat and they will be joined by local independent candidate Joseph Holt.

Cllr Ismail was voted in after a previous by-election in December following the death of councillor Margaret Clare.

Labour will be hoping to retain control of the seat with their candidate Susan Haworth.

She said: "I will use all of my skills and experience from a background in the NHS, youth engagement and management to achieve as a councillor.”

In the December vote, Conservative candidate Robert Tyler came second and will be hoping to go one better this time.

He said: “I enjoy working for the community as a school governor and church warden and I also volunteer at the local food bank — I am someone who is very much involved with local issues.”

UKIP finished in third place in that election and their candidate, Jeff Armstrong, believes he has “fresh ideas” for the ward.

He added: “The changes to Bolton whilst under the control of the present three political parties made me think seriously about what I could do to try and change things.

“Let’s make the streets of Harper Green safer by increasing the open spaces and put a stop to the council’s bid to sell off land which would restrict play areas for our children.”

The Liberal Democrats will hope for a big improvement from the December by-election when they gained just four per cent of the vote.

Candidate Rebekah Fairhurst, a 24-year old church volunteer, said: “The Lib Dems in government have secured £40 million extra for Bolton’s schools, provided free school meals for nearly 11,000 children in the borough and a record number of local apprenticeships.”

Representing the Green party will be James Tomkinson.

He said: “We want Bolton Council to make basic changes such as ruling out the irresponsible practice of fracking in Bolton's borders and providing people suffering locally from the ‘bedroom tax’ with a no-evictions for arrears policy now.”