FIVE candidates from Herefordshire are among the 71 hopefuls from 12 parties contesting the West Midlands seats in the European Parliament.

The fate of the five will be decided on the June 4 UK election day, but they won’t know what that fate is until at least two days later, with the majority of the ballot taking place across Europe over the weekend of June 6 and 7.

Under the voting system, contesting parties make lists of candidates to be elected and seats get allocated to each party in proportion to the number of votes the party receives.

Veteran campaigner Felicity Norman, from Luston, near Leominster, is first on the list for the Green Party, while Bridget Rose, of Pembridge, and Zigi Davenport, from Eardisland, are second and third on the list respectively for Libertas.

Anthea McIntyre, from Walford, near Ross-on-Wye, is third on the Conservative Party list, and Graham Walker, from Leominster, is fourth on the list for the English Democrats.

About 137,000 people from Herefordshire are entitled to vote in the European election, 73,267 in the Hereford constituency and 64,272 in the Leominster constituency. On election day, 159 polling stations will be open across the county.