Love my neighbour ... but vote for me! (From Tewkesbury Admag)

Love my neighbour ... but vote for me!

NEIGHBOURLY rivalry will be the order of the day for the two candidates in the district council by-election being held next month in Stow.

The two candidates - Independent town councillor John Kennell and Conservative David Penman - live directly opposite each other.

Former RAF pilot Mr Kennell lives in Newlands Court, and can see Mr Penman's house in Evesham Road from his house.

Mr Kennell, who has lived in the town for eight years, requested the by-election in the Stow-Beacon ward of Cotswold District Council after the seat was left vacant by the resignation of Robert Barnett over a confidentiality breach in August.

"At the time I had no idea that my neighbour over the road was going to stand. I hope we will remain gentlemanly.

"The main thing is we are properly represented down in Cirencester," said Mr Kennell. "We need someone to fly the flag for Stow district."

Mr Penman, a retired IT specialist who has lived in Stow for almost 24 years, said: "It will be neighbourly rivalry. I fixed his computer for him last week."

Mr Kennell said he was standing as an Independent because it was the views of people locally that mattered.

Mr Penman, who has been a long-time Tory Party member, said that you could not keep party politics out of local government.

"People always say politics should not be in the local community but unfortunately it is. If you get a lot of Independents on councils you get lots of little factions," he said.

The by-election takes place on Thursday, January 12.