EVERY place is worth fighting for in Swindon's local election as all 21 seats are being contested.

Nominations for the May 3 elections have now closed but candidates can still withdraw up to April 12 But while some may drop out, it is too late for anyone else to throw their hat into the ring.

Today's Adver brings you the full listing of all candidates.

UKIP, the Greens and the British National Party (BNP) are stepping up their bid to win their first ever seats against Conservatives and Labour.

The Greens are putting forward 16 candidates this year and UKIP seven.

The BNP is fielding three candidates in Gorse Hill and Pinehurst, Parks and Penhill.

The Conservative Party, which currently occupies 41 seats, has 21 candidates in the running.

Labour and the Liberal Democrats are both fielding 20.

Labour currently has 12 councillors in the town while the Liberal Democrats have three.

Only one independent candidate is listed - Michael John Morton in Western. Four Labour candidates are up again - Maureen Caton in Moredon, John Ballman in Gorse Hill and Pinehurst, Howard Fay in Parks and Des Moffat in Western.

Nine Conservatives face re-election.

There are two vacant seats in the Haydon Wick ward with eight candidates.

Conservative Ian Dobie, who is up for re-election, is competing for one of them alongside fellow Tory Rex Barnett.

The party gained five new seats last year in Dorcan, Covingham and Nythe, Moredon, Old Town and Lawn and St Philip, making it one of the strongest Tory councils in the country.

Labour and the Lib Dems both dropped three seats.

Labour held on to Parks, Penhill, Gorse Hill and Pinehurst and Western in 2006.

Councillors are up for re-election in the following wards: Moredon, Gorse Hill and Pinehurst, Haydon Wick, Highworth, Old Town and Lawn, Toothill and Westlea, Parks, Walcot, Western, Covingham and Nythe, Abbeymeads and Wroughton and Chiseldon.

The council is hoping to increase on the 43,733 voters who cast their preference last year as they are making election day more convenient. Voters can have their say online or via text and at any polling station or library.

Deputy returning officer Alan Winchcombe said: "People could never go to a polling station anywhere and vote before. To vote on the internet before you had to be at home."

He expects half of all people voting will not go to their local polling station.

He also hopes the results of the borough election will be out by midnight on May 3. Results will be posted online at www.myelection.co.uk on May 4.