Look at South Portslade and you are normally looking at a safe Labour seat but this time there is a complicating factor.

His name is Steve Collier, a sitting councillor, who left the Labour Party in September last year.

Councillor Collier is standing as an Independent in a ward which is being reduced from three seats to only two.

Keen on the environment and housing, Coun Collier is well known in the area but the history of Independents in Brighton and Hove is not encouraging for him.

He faces the existing pair of Labour councillors, who are also familiar figures in South Portslade.

Les Hamilton who, like his father of the same name, was Mayor of Hove, goes right back to the days of the old Portslade Council.

Sue John was a member of the ruling Labour Cabinet on the council before it reverted to a committee and has been campaigning for a new community centre in the area.

The Tories, who used to represent this ward, will hope to slip through any gaps created by Coun Collier.

In the Eighties, Les Whitmore captured a seat for the Liberals and successor Lib Dem candidates will want to follow in his footsteps. Greens are also fielding two contenders.

Environmental issues, including pollution from Shoreham Harbour, will figure in this campaign, along with the state of council homes, particularly some in Denmark Road.

There is also a traffic calming scheme for Vale Road, which has been postponed, and controversy over plans for a second community centre.

Candidates (two seats):

Labour - Leslie Hamilton, Sue John.

Independent - Steve Collier.

Conservative - Richard Biggs, Michael Long.

Liberal Democrats - Neville Reginald Searle, Nicola Jane Searle Greens - Janette Ackroyd, Christopher Fry.