PRESTON'S political circus could become even more entertaining after the next election -- if controversial councillor Joe Fitzgerald gets his way.

Coun Fitzgerald, who quit the Liberal Democrats last year to form Preston's Peoples Party, hopes to build on a year's worth of publicity by capturing several key seats in May's local elections.

Although he is losing his party's co-founder Coun Tony Jones, who is retiring through ill health, Coun Fitzgerald believes the only way is up for his fledging party.

He said: "The people of Preston are fed up with this council and the antics of the three main parties. I predict a massive change on May 4, in favour of independent councillors."

Lee Forshaw, 24, will stand in Larches ward against Liberal Democrat Allan Foster.

Kristian Forshaw, no relation to Lee, will be fighting for the Riversway seat against 85-year-old Rene Black, who won the seat by just 30 votes during a 1998 by-election.

Bernadette Jones, wife of Coun Tony Jones, will be standing in the Lib Dem heartland of Ingol, where two seats are up for grabs: Lib Dem leader Bill Chadwick's and Ann Green, who stood down last week.

Each of the councillors will stand as Liberal Democrat Independents.

If any of Coun Fitzgerald's colleagues win, it will be the first time any People's Party representatives have been voted into the borough. Both Coun Jones and Coun Fitzgerald were voted on as Lib Dems.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.