RUBBISH collection is the hot topic for campaigners fighting next month's Wokingham borough elections - when the Tories are certain to retain power because only a third of seats are up for grabs.

Eighteen out of 54 seats on Wokingham Borough Council are at stake on Thursday, May 3, but even if the Tories were to lose their 15 contested seats, they would still have 30, enough for a majority.

The Liberal Democrats hold the remaining nine seats - three of which are up for election - and say dissatisfaction over controversial changes to waste pick-ups means they hope to gain ground on the Tories.

A clutch of senior councillors are standing down, including Tories Matthew Deegan, Annette Drake and Liz Siggery, and Lib Dems Phil Challis and Stephen Conway.

Liberal Democrat group leader Cllr Prue Bray said: "On the doorstep, rubbish, recycling and green waste is all anybody wants to talk to us about.

"We've had people telling us they won't vote Conservative this year."

She said her party wanted to change the waste collection system but would have consulted widely on different options.

But Conservative leader Cllr David Lee said voters support the waste changes once they understand the need for them. He said: "I believe that we have a very understanding and intelligent electorate who understand that we have responsibilities to each other. We are trying to deliver the maximum service that we can."

Polling also takes place for Charvil, Finchampstead, Hurst and Ruscombe parish councils with al counting starting at 9.30am the next day.

The deadline for postal vote applications and applications to register to vote is Wednesday. See www.wokingham.gov.uk or call 0118 974 6000.

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Lab - Labour

Con - Conservative

LD - Liberal Democrat

Grn - Green

UKIP - UK Independence Party

Ind - Independent

*Seat held by

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Bulmershe & Whitegates:

Greg Bello (Lab)

Lesley Hayward (LD)

Billy Khan (UKIP)

Mohammed Parvaiz (Con)

Adrian Windisch (Grn)

*Jenny Lissaman (LD) retiring

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Charvil:

*Emma Hobbs (Con)

James O'Callaghan (Grn)

Nick Ray (Ind)

Malcolm Storry (LD)

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Emmbrook:

*Ullakarin Clark (Con)

Suresh Jeganathan (LD)

Steven McMillan (UKIP)

Paul Sharples (Lab)

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Evendons:

*Dianne King (Con)

Steven Scarrott (LD)

Anthony Skuse (Lab)

Mike Spencer (UKIP)

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Finchampstead North:

Martyn Foss (Grn)

*Mike Gore (Con)

Tim Jinkerson (Lab/Co-op)

Roy Neall (LD)

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Finchampstead South:

Roland Cundy (LD)

Ian Pittock (Con)

Matthew Valler (Grn)

*Gerald Cockroft (Con) retiring

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Hawkedon:

Guy Grandison (Con)

Peter Jackson (UKIP)

John Prior (Grn)

Anthony Vick (LD)

Neville Waites (Lab)

*Matthew Deegan (Con) retiring

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Hillside:

Helene Cherry (Grn)

*Pauline Jorgensen (Con)

David Sharp (Lab)

Keith Yabsley (LD)

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Hurst:

Paula Montie (Grn)

Wayne Smith (Con)

Paul Trott (LD)

Umesh Ummat (Lab)

*Annette Drake (Con) retiring

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Loddon:

Tom Clark (Lab)

Tom McCann (LD)

Bill Soane (Con)

Julia Titus (Grn)

*Phil Challis (LD) retiring

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Maiden Erlegh:

David Hare (LD)

Nicholas Marshall (Grn)

*Ken Miall (Con)

Jacqueline Rupert (Lab)

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Norreys:

John Bray (LD)

Mary Gascoyne (Lab)

Emma-Louise Hamilton (Grn)

Keith Knight (UKIP)

Malcolm Richards (Con)

Robin Smith (Ind)

*Lee Gordon-Walker (Con) retiring

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Remenham, Wargrave & Ruscombe:

Martin Alder (LD)

Matthew Dent (Lab/Co-op)

*John Halsall (Con)

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Shinfield South:

Marjory Bisset (Grn)

*Charlotte Haitham Taylor (Con)

Imogen Shepherd-Dubey (LD)

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Twyford:

James Ewan (Grn)

Lindsay Ferris (LD)

Richard Fort (Lab)

Sam Hawkins (Con)

*Stephen Conway (LD) retiring

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Wescott:

Stella Howell (UKIP)

James Leask (LD)

Kazek Lokuciewski (Grn)

John Woodward (Lab)

*Bob Wyatt (Con)

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Winnersh:

Mark Ashwell (Con)

John Baker (Lab)

Tony Pollock (UKIP)

Rachelle Shepherd-Dubey (LD)

*Liz Siggery (Con) retiring

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Wokingham Without:

Thomas Blomley (Grn)

*Pauline Helliar-Symons (Con)

Elaine Spratling (LD)

Graham Widdows (UKIP)