The battle lines have been drawn up ready for Maidstone's borough council elections in May.

Eighteen seats - one third of the council - will be contested when voters go to the polls on Thursday, May 3.

The outcome could determine who controls the council in future.

Currently the council leader is Fran Wilson, the leader of the Liberal Democrats, but the two main parties of the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats are officially neck and neck on 22 seats each, after former Lib Dem Cllr Richard Webb had the party whip withdrawn after he was charged with assault - an allegation that he denies.

Both Labour and the Conservatives have submitted a full list of candidates, but the Liberal Democrats were unable to find a candidate in two wards and will not be contesting either Harrietsham and Lenham, or Shepway South.

In addition the Green Party are putting up 11 candidates and there are six Independents standing.

One as yet untested aspect of this election will be how voters react to Maidstone's new political party called Independent Maidstone. The party was formed by the town's four former Ukip councillors, who have now all left the party and reformed under the new banner.

Two of the former Ukip seats are being contested: Shepway North and Shepway South.

Whatever the outcome of the election, there will be new faces on the council as a number of existing members are not seeking re-election. They include Derek Butler in Boxley, James Willis in Heath, Jade Webster in Park Wood and Simon Ells in Shepway North.

As might be expected all the parties are talking up their chances.

Labour leader Paul Harper said: "Labour is going into these elections enthusiastic after our national and local success in the 2017 General Election.

"Labour came second in both Maidstone and the Weald and also Faversham and Mid Kent, with the Liberal Democrats a long way behind Labour.

"Based on those results there is nowhere in Maidstone where Labour is not in contention to win."

Similarly Stuart Jeffery of the Green Party said: "This is a really exciting election and we believe Donna Greenan in Bridge Ward has a real chance of becoming Maidstone's first Green councillor.

"We have been campaigning against the ridiculous housing plans for thousands of large, unaffordable houses on greenfield sites around the town while ignoring the real local need for affordable homes close to jobs and public transport."

The Conservatives are said to be hopeful of making two gains, but their leader, John Perry, would not say which wards they were targeting "for tactical reasons." One might be High Street ward, where the existing Lib Dem member, Cllr Clive English, was elected with only a 33-vote majority last time around.

Meantime, the Liberal Democrats said they were hopeful of gaining Shepway North, where their candidate Steve Beerling, has eight years' previous experience as a councillor for Fant, but now lives in the ward.

A full list of candidates can be found below.

Allington

Dan Daley (Lib Dem)

Barry Ginley (Con)

Marianna Poliszczuk (Lab)

Bearsted

Mike Cuming (Con)

Jim Grogan (Lab)

Lizzie Hare (Lib Dem)

Boxley

Richard Atkins (Lab)

Andrew Cockersole (Lib Dem)

Bob Hinder (Con)

Bridge

Donna Greenan (Green)

Bruce Heald (Lab)

David Picket (Lib Dem)

Jonathan Purle (Con)

Coxheath and Hunton

Madeline Darby (Lab)

Brian Mortimer (Lib Dem)

Lottie Parfitt-Read (Con)

Mike Summersgill (Green)

East

Joanna Burns (Lab)

Nikki Fissenden (Lib Dem)

James Shalice (Green)

Cheryl Taylor-Maggio (Con)

Fant

Paul Harper (Lab)

Rosaline Janko (Lib Dem)

Graham Jarvis (Con)

Ian McDonald (Green)

Harrietsham and Lenham

Karen Chappell-Tay (Con)

Greg Levitt (Lab)

Susan Parr (Green)

Janetta Sama (Ind)

Headcorn

Merilyn Fraser (Lib Dem)

Geof Harvey (Lab)

Martin Round (Con)

Heath

Alan Chell (Con)

Ben Crozier (Lab)

Ashleigh Kimmance (Lib Dem)

Geoff Wilkinson (Green)

High Street

Clive English (Lib Dem)

Kimmy Falconer (Green)

Sam Lain-Rose (Con)

Tim Licence (Lab)

Marden and Yalding

David Burton (Con)

Richard Coates (Lab)

Caroline Jessel (Green)

Sarah Rowe (Lib Dem)

North

Maureen Cleator (Lab)

Tony Harwood (Lib Dem)

Stuart Jeffery (Green)

Joe Mamo (Con)

Park Wood

Dinesh Khadka (Lib Dem)

Daniel Rose (Con)

Dan Wilkinson (Lab)

Shepway North

Alan Bartlett (Con)

Steve Beerling (Lib Dem)

Gary Butler (Ind)

Kris Jeary (Lab)

Steve Muggeridge (Green)

Carol Newton (Independent Maidstone)

Shepway South

John Barned (Independent Maidstone)

Paul Cooper (Con)

Malcolm McKay (Lab)

South

Steve Cheeseman (Green)

Michael Hogg (Ind)

Wendy Hollands (Lab)

Yolande Kenward (Ind)

Derek Mortimer (Lib Dem)

Paul Wooding (Con)

Staplehurst

John Perry (Con)

Marlyn Randall (Lab)

Andrew Watson (Lib Dem)