A former Tiffin schoolboy, two NHS workers and a carpenter are among six candidates set to fight it out at the Coombe Hill byelection.

The byelection, due to be held on Thursday, May 3, follows the resignation of Councillor David Edwards, who stepped down to undergo chemotherapy in a bid to battle cancer last month.

A new councillor will join the ward’s two conservative councillors, Patrick Codd and Eric Humphrey, after the count, which will be held on Friday, May 4, at Olympia because of it coinciding with the Mayor of London elections.

Electors living in the ward will receive two poll cards – one for the elections for the Mayor of London and London Assembly and one for the Coombe Hill byelection. The deadline for registering to vote at the byelection is Wednesday, April 18, and the postal vote deadline is at 5pm on the same day.

The deadline for applying for a proxy vote is at 5pm on Wednesday, April 25.

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Here are the candidates: Rajesh Dewan – Christian Peoples Alliance Rajesh Dewan is a human resource adviser for the Epsom and St Helier NHS Trust and sits on the Elm Road allotments management committee in New Malden.

He said he would be campaigning for a more sustainable and fairer economy and would promote the key principles behind the NHS, including being free at the point of need and equal access to services, regardless of ability to pay.

David Knowles – Liberal Democrat David Knowles is a co-director of a leadership program for senior doctors and managers at the University of Toronto and the vice chairman of Kingston PCT and of Kingston health and wellbeing committee.

The retired NHS chief executive has run as a candidate for Coombe Hill on four previous occasions, and was a governor at Coombe Hill Junior School for eight years.

He said: “I believe my managerial and health policy experience would, if elected, enable me to make a valuable contribution.”

Laurie South – Labour Party Laurie South retired from running a national charity, which helps older unemployed people to start businesses, and his youngest son went to King Athelstan Primary and Southborough Secondary School, where he was a governor.

He said a Labour councillor was needed to hold the Liberal Democrat council leaders to account.

He said: “We need a strong vision for Kingston's future.”

Jean Vidler – Green Party Jean Vidler is a green event organiser and works at the Kingston Environment Centre, steering them towards becoming an official charity.

If elected, she said she would like to see the ward’s four golf courses run in the most sustainable way possible and better public access for green spaces.

She said: “I am campaigning on a green party platform, which is all about looking at the world holistically and how we can make the place more sustainable.”

Gaj Wallooppillai – Conservative Gaj Wallooppillai runs a business promoting cricket to schools with friends from Tiffin Boys’ School and said he would campaign to cut down crime in the area, specifically targeting burglary, by working closely with police and the safer neighbourhood teams.

He said: “I am the local candidate, all my experiences have been in Kingston, I went to school here, my friends live in the area, I know it.”

Michael Watson – UK Independence Party Michael Watson is a self-employed carpenter standing for UKIP for the third time in local elections.

He said he would give voters an alternative to the mainstream parties and would campaign for justice, with a focus on highlighting the role of the EU and how it affects local issues.

He said: “It’s all ultimately influenced hugely by Brussels and that has to be made known. People don’t realise it. They don’t understand why their taxes are too high.”