THERE will be five candidates in the field for the Lochs by election which takes place on Thursday August 25.

The election was called after the resignation of long time Benarty councillor Willie Clarke in May and the poll has attracted a lot of interest from most of the main parties and also the Community Party and the Greens.

As the seat was held by a Communist from 1973 it is no surprise to see the Communist Party of Britain fielding Tom Kirby.

Willie Clarke won the seat as a Communist in May 1973 and although latterly he stood as an Independent he still regarded himself as a Communist candidate. Tom lives in Methil but is someone who takes a strong interest in the affairs of Benarty.

Labour are fielding Mary Lockhart, who stays in Ballingry, and she will be seeking to bring the Labour ticket back into Benarty since the days of Dunfermline District Council when Alan Gray held the ward.

The SNP candidate is another Ballingry woman, Lea McLelland, who will be hoping to keep the recent good run of results for the Nationalists going in this by-election.

The Scottish Conservative candidate is Kelty man Malcolm McDonald while the Green Party candidate, Oliver Bradford, also comes from Kelty.

This will be an interesting election. Willie Clarke has held his seat with big polls over the years but with him retiring it provides an opening for Labour and the SNP in particular to take the position.

The Lochs ward covers the four Benarty villages, Kelty and Kingseat and the candidates will be seeking to join Labour's Alex Campbell and the SNP's Ann Bain on the nine councillor Cowdenbeath Area Committee.

The day before polling day Willie Clarke, who chaired the Area Committee since its inception in 2007, and served for 43 consecutive years as a councillor, will be honoured by his former colleagues and Fife Council.