The battle for Mid Sussex District Council pits the Lib Dems against the Conservatives in a finely poised contest.

The Tories are the biggest party but do not have overall control and hold just one extra seat compared to the Lib Dems.

Key to the colour of the council will be the results in the towns of Burgess Hill, East Grinstead, Haywards Heath and Hassocks.

The political heat has already been rising in Mid Sussex after four councillors were referred to the Standards Board.

Some have dubbed the investigation of Labour councillor Patrick Henry, Labour mayor of Haywards Heath Richard Goddard and Tory councillors Derek Brooker and Terry Gillard a witch hunt.

Councillor Brooker resigned as a cabinet member and both he and Councillor Gillard have resigned from the ruling Conservative group.

They will now face former party members in the Lucastes ward of Haywards Heath as independents, which is sure to make for a fascinating fight.

And while there is a good crop of independents and UKIP candidates, the main tussle will be between the Tories and Lib Dems.

Traditionally Conservative, the council fell to the Liberal Democrats in 1995, only to be won back by the Tories in 1999.

Conservatives believe their growing popularity among the urban middle classes and record at the council will help swing voters in key town areas.

The Lib Dems, who already have a strong showing in Burgess Hill and East Grinstead, hope to take seats in Haywards Heath and Hassocks.

Rural wards are almost invariably Tory heartland and are likely to stay the same.

A key issue will be the future of the town centres, which are subject to multimillion-pound redevelopments.

There is cross-party agreement that proposals for Burgess Hill, East Grinstead and Haywards Heath need to be developed.

But the Lib Dems want to see more community involvement and a review of the cabinet decisionmaking system, which party leader George Knight says is alienating many councillors and concentrating powers in the hands of too few.

The Lib Dems predict they will win as many as 33 seats.

But the Conservatives are equally bullish and hope to return at least 30 councillors.

Council leader Patrick Shanahan said: "We have been working on improving facilities across the district and providing a better environment."