EXPECT a knock on your door during the next three weeks as councillors gear up for the May 2 local elections. Canvassing for the 21 seats up for grabs in Blackburn and Darwen is already well under way.

Among those up for re-election are the three political leaders. Labour council leader Malcolm Doherty has served voters on Blackburn Borough Council for 15 years.

Conservative leader Don Heatlie-Jackson has been a borough representative since 1984.

And Liberal Democrat leader Paul Browne has been a councillor since 1973 with one short break.

Three green party candidates are also hoping to secure a seat. Postal or proxy vote applications must reach Blackburn Town Hall's electoral registration unit by noon on April 15 - although late applications up to noon on April 24 will be accepted in the case of sudden illness.

More information on 585920.

The following people are all standing in the forthcoming election (* denotes sitting councillor):

BANK TOP

Christine Cramsie (Ind Lab); Beverley Tracy Heeds (Lib Dem); *Mohammad Khan (Lab); Ismail Ibrahim Bapu Patel (Ind Lab)

BILLINGE

Robin Richard Cubitt Field (Green); Michael John Lee (Con); Paul Rigby Mason (Lab); Lynda Vernon (Lib Dem)

BROOKHOUSE

Habib Ali (Con); Alan Dean (Lib Dem); *Mohammed Khaliq (Lab)

BROWNHILL

Celia Mary Ball (Green); *Renee Greaves (Con); Ann Knott (Lib Dem); Abdul Samad Patel (Lab)

CATHEDRAL

Michael John Kirkham (Lib Dem); *William George Taylor (Lab)

EARCROFT

*Donald Heatlie-Jackson (Con); Robert William Marsden (Dar Lib Dem); Harold White (Dar Lab)

EWOOD(two vacancies)

John Milburn (Lab); *Florence Oldfield (Lab); Alan Richard Vernon (Lib Dem); Michael Robert Walker (Green)

GREENBANK

Dorothy Greenwood (Lab); Stephen Simpson (Lib Dem)

HIGHER CROFT

*Jack Bury (Lab); Paul Edmondson (Lib Dem)

MARSH HOUSE

Amanda Jane Donnolly (Dar Lib Dem); Devena Paterson (Dar Lab); *Fred Slater (Con)

MILL HILL

*Malcolm Terence Doherty (Lab); Bernard Gavin (Con); Michael Arthur Christopher Hamill (Lib Dem)

MOORGATE

Arthur Hutchinson (Con); Anthony Gerard Kirby (Lib Dem); Maureen Rishton (Lab)

PLECKGATE

*Ian John Forrest (Con); Marlene Kirkham (Lib Dem); Gillian Elizabeth Mason (Lab)

QUEEN'S PARK

Helmy Fakhry (Lib Dem); *Stephen Greenwood (Lab)

REVIDGE

Wilfred Cubley (Lib Dem); Nazir Hussain (Lab); Maureen McGarvey (Con)

SHADSWORTH

*James Edward Blackburn (Lab); Samuel Hughes (Con); Alan Knott (Lib Dem)

SUDELL

*Paul Nathaniel Browne (Dar Lib Dem); Nigel Anthony Nuttall (Dar Lab)

SUNNYHURST

David Mark Fenton (Dar Con); David John Hollings (Dar Lab); Christopher Thayne (Dar Lib Dem)

WEST RURAL

*Edna May Arnold (Con); Kevin Connor (Lib Dem); William John Lambe (Lab)

WHITEHALL

*Karimeh Odeh Michel Foster (Dar Lib Dem); Geoffrey Mottram (Con); Gordon Waddicor (Dar Lab).

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