Unsure who to vote for? Your guide to the 48 Hartlepool Borough Council candidates standing for election

Forty-eight candidates are contesting 12 seats – one in each council ward – with polling stations closing at 10pm tonight.

The council is currently run by a coalition of Conservative, Independent Union and independent councillors.

Labour, however, are the party with the most councillors, 17, which is two short of the 19 needed to form a majority.

With two of Labour’s current seats being contested on Thursday, the party need to win four of the 12 seats available if they are to take overall control.

Last year, before one of their 18 councillors quit the party, they fell just three votes shy of power after losing a crucial seat by two votes.

Follow the links below to find out who is standing in your ward and why they think you should vote for them.

Every candidate was given the opportunity by the Mail to have their say.

Some have declined and others did not send us a photo of themselves.

For details of your Burn Valley candidates, click here.

For details of your De Bruce candidates, click here.

For details of your Fens and Greatham candidates, click here.

For details of your Foggy Furze candidates, click here.

For details of your Hart candidates, click here.

For details of your Headland and Harbour candidates, click here.

For details of your Manor House candidates, click here.

For details of your Rossmere candidates, click here.

For details of your Rural West candidates, click here.

For details of your Seaton candidates, click here.

For details of your Throston candidates, click here.

For details of your Victoria candidates, click here.

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