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Five candidates will contest the Coventry City Council seat left vacant following the death of deputy leader Phil Townshend,

The Green Party, Liberal Democrats, UKIP, Labour Party and Conservative Party will all take part in the Lower Stoke by-election due to be held on Thursday, February 11.

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The by-election will cost taxpayers an estimated £25,000 but the council insisted it was legally required to hold a separate selection rather than rolling it into the council election on May 5.

That is because the seat was left empty more than six months before the election when Labour Coun Townshend died at home in October.

The candidates will include Aimee Challenor, Green Party; Mark Glenn, Liberal Democrats; Harjinder Sehmi, UKIP; Rupinder Singh, Labour; and Francoise Yebkal, Conservative.

New deputy

Residents have been receiving polling cards from January 9 confirming that they are registered and telling them where their polling station is located.

Coun Townshend’s role as deputy leader on the Labour-controlled council has already been filled by his former business partner Coun Abdul Khan.

The cabinet member for culture, leisure and sport was appointed by council leader Ann Lucas during a Labour group meeting in November.

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