AND they're off! Four weeks of intensive campaigning has started in earnest for the upcoming local elections.

Nominations closed on Tuesday (May 11) for the June 10 poll which for the first time will be conducted entirely by postal voting.

Every seat on Bury Council is up for grabs in the first all-out elections since the metropolitan borough was formed 30 years ago. Voters, therefore, will be allowed three choices on their ballot paper.

Labour and the Conservatives are putting up a full list across Prestwich and Whitefield. The Liberal Democrats follow suit in Prestwich, but offer voters just one candidate in each Whitefield ward.

Among those fighting locally is the current Mayor of Bury, Councillor Wilf Davison, and no fewer than four former mayors are also up for election: Alan Matthews, Paul Nesbit, Neville Singer and Gordon Sharkey.

Across the borough of Bury, some 137 candidates are standing in 17 wards. Apart from the "big three" parties, there are two other factions: the British National Party, which is putting up three candidates; and seven Independents, all Bury Market traders who object to the proposed moving of the market under a £150 million development plan for Bury town centre. Two of them are standing in Unsworth.

Pre-ballot letters are currently being sent to residents to explain how the new voting arrangements will work.

Along with the voting paper, there will be declaration form to complete, which has to be signed by a witness to confirm each voter's identity.

People will have two weeks to make up their minds, and either post back the forms or drop them off at Bury Town Hall. There is a telephone hotline to help anyone with queries: 253 5113, or 5114, 7314, 7749.

Prestwich and Whitefield wards and candidates (* denotes councillor seeking re-election):

BESSES:

*Ken Audin (Lab)

*Derek Boden (Lab)

Julian Kershner (Con)

*Alan Matthews (Lab)

Chava Odze (Con)

Mark Roberts (Con)

Winifred Rohmann (Lib Dem)

PILKINGTON PARK:

Lynn Molloy (Lib Dem)

Elliot Moss (Lab)

*Paul Nesbit (Lab)

Alan Quinn (Lab)

Peter Redstone (Con)

*Bernie Vincent (Con)

*Michelle Wiseman (Con)

HOLYROOD:

Sheila Blaby (Con)

Jeannette Chrystal (Con)

*Vic D'Albert (Lib Dem)

*Wilf Davison (Lib Dem)

Darrell Johnson (Lab)

Lillian Johnston (Lab)

*Tim Pickstone (Lib Dem)

Eve Sandler (Lab)

Marilyn Vincent (Con)

SEDGLEY:

Gill Campbell (Lab)

Donal O'Hanlon (Lib Dem)

Catherine Evans (Lab)

Andrew Garner (Lib Dem)

*Ann Garner (Lib Dem)

Henry Kessler (Con)

Shneur Odze (Con)

Neville Singer (Con)

*Peter Timperley (Lab)

ST MARY'S:

Antony Barlow (Con)

Mary D'Albert (Lib Dem)

Maureen Davison (Lib Dem)

*Margaret Gibb (Lab)

David Green (Con)

*Keith Grime (Lab)

Mike Halsall (Lib Dem)

Denise Ormrod (Con)

*Steve Treadgold (Lab)

UNSWORTH:

Sam Cohen (Con)

Alan Garman (Ind)

Marilyn Green (Con)

*Joan Grimshaw (Lab)

Jonathan Grosskopf (Con)

Maurice Konyk (Ind)

*Gordon Sharkey (Lab)

*Stella Smith (Lab)

Geoffrey Young (Lib Dem)