THE British National Party is targetting Alsager in the May 1 elections to the new Cheshire East Council.

Three BNP candidates are standing for election to the new unitary council, which comes into being next April.

Hoping to win a place on the council are Matthew Bee from Shady Grove, Alsager, Steve Davies from Linley Road, Alsager, and Lee Carbutt from Bank View, Goostrey.

The trio of BNP candidates are challenging the three main parties in the Alsager ward.

Congleton Borough has seven of the 27 wards on the new council, and three councillors will be elected from each.

Cheshire East Council will bring together Congleton, Macclesfield and Crewe and Nantwich Boroughs and Cheshire County Council.

Contesting Alsager for Labour are Robert Ashley and Kathleen and Neil Clarke.

The Lib Dem challengers are Rod Fletcher, Derek Hough and Shirley Jones, and contesting the seat for the Conservatives are Bill Finney, Peter Kolker and Lynn Stocks.

There are seven candidates in Congleton Town West and East.

In the West ward Conservatives Gordon Baxendale, Roland Domleo and David Topping, Lib Dems Margaret Gartside, Keith Heron and Jeanne Whitehurst and Lisa Bossons for Labour.

In the East Conservatives David Brown, Peter Mason and Andrew Thwaite, Lib Dems Linda Hemsley, Denis Murphy and Tim Muston and Robert Boston for Labour.

Conservatives Rhoda Bailey, Andrew Barratt and Andrew Large are standing in the Sandbach East and Rode ward, against Lib Dems Elsie Alcock, Trish Barlow and Knud Moller, Bill Howell for Labour and John Cliff.