More than 400 candidates from eight parties will contest the battle for control of Kent County Council on May 2, making it one of the most keenly contested elections in years.

The number of candidates standing in the 84 seats that are up for grabs is up to 402 compared to 362 when voters last went to the polls in 2009 - an increase of 40.

Nominations for candidates closed last week.

The Conservatives will field candidates in every single seat, while Labour will have candidates in all but one.

It would have had a full slate but for the fact that party chiefs failed to realise one of its candidates who had wanted to stand in a Maidstone seat was too young.

UKIP, which many feel represent a threat to all the main parties, will contest 74 seats this time around - a significant increase on 2009 when it had 27 candidates. That represents a 56% increase.

County Hall, the 'home' of Kent County Council

It is a sign of UKIP's increasingly high-profile that it is fielding more candidates than the Liberal Democrats, currently the official opposition at County Hall, who are contesting 70 of the 84 seats compared to 83 in 2009.

The Green Party has also increased the number of candidates it will field from 41 last time to 44. The English Democrat Party will fight in 22 seats compared to 18 last time around.

The most contested seat in Kent will be Herne Bay, near Canterbury where

15 candidates will fight it out for a ward with two seats.

That is more than double the candidates who will fight it out in the next most hotly contested seat of Gravesham East where eight candidates are standing.

In contrast, the least-contested seats are Maidstone Rural South, Sheerness and Gravesham Rural - with each seat only attracting three candidates.

Nine parties will each field 10 or fewer candidates compared to 12 in 2009.

These include five British National Party candidates, three members of the Trade Unions & Socialists Against Cuts party, two from the Monster Raving Loony Party and 10 independents.