Three existing Somerset councillors and one council employee are among those vying to win an upcoming parliamentary by-election.

A by-election for the Somerton and Frome constituency will be held on July 20 following the recent resignation of David Warburton.

Mr Warburton (who has held the seat since 2015) resigned on June 17, having been stripped of the Conservative whip since April 2022 following "malicious" allegations surrounding harassment and drug use.

A total of eight candidates have now thrown their hat into the ring to replace him – and have less than four weeks to convince the public to back them.

The Somerton and Frome constituency covers around 900 square miles, and includes the two titular towns along with Castle Cary, Bruton, Langport, Wincanton and the surrounding villages.

This is the first by-election to be held in the seat since it was created in 1983.

The Conservative held the seat for most of its history, with Mr Warburton sitting as an independent after the Tory whip was withdrawn and the Liberal Democrats holding it continuously between 1997 and 2010.

Of the eight candidates that have been nominated, three of them are currently serving on the unitary Somerset Council, having won their seats at the last local elections in May 2022.

Sarah Dyke (Blackmoor Vale) was selected as the Lib Dems' candidate in May 2022, shortly before her party's huge victory in the Tiverton and Honiton by-election over the border in Devon.

Ms Dyke, who lives in Cucklington near Wincanton, currently serves in the council's executive as portfolio holder for the environment and climate change.

The Lib Dems are so confident of regaining the seat they lost in 2010 that they opened a new office in Frome on the recent anniversary of their win in Tiverton and Honiton.

Ms Dyke said: "I've been knocking on doors across the Somerton and Frome constituency for years, and people are sick of having an absent MP whose office is never open.

"People here don't want another Conservative MP who takes them for granted. They want a local champion who will ensure their voices are heard in parliament."

Ms Dyke will be going up against two familiar faces on the benches at County Hall, in the form of Martin Dimery (Frome West, who is standing for the Green Party) and Faye Purbrick (Yeovil South, the Conservative candidate).

Mr Dimery, who resides in Frome, said there would be no prospect of him withdrawing from the race to give any of the other parties a clearer path to victory.

He said: "Following the outstanding success in local elections and the growing support for the Green Party in the constituency, we are fully prepared to fight this election with every intention of winning.

"As a life-long fan of Luton Town, I have good reason to believe everything is possible with determination, conviction and the best support."

Ms Purbrick, who resides in Yeovil (outside of the constituency), served as cabinet member for education under the final administration of Somerset County Council, and is currently shadow portfolio holder for transformation and human resources.

In the early stages of the campaign, she has enlisted the support of several existing Tory MPs, including Yeovil MP Marcus Fysh (who was recently reselected for his seat) and East Devon MP Simon Jupp.

Party chairman Greg Hands MP also tweeted in support, stating: "Faye is a strong local candidate committed to making sure the whole constituency gets a fair deal."

In addition to the three current councillors standing, one council employee is on the ballot paper.

Neil Guild, the Labour Party's candidate, lives in Taunton (outside the constituency) and currently works for the council as a highways asset commissioning officer.

Mr Guild previously stood for the party in the Taunton Deane constituency at the 2015 general election, polling 5,347 votes and finishing fourth out of eight candidates.

Lorna Clarke, who is standing for the Christian People's Alliance, previously stood in the Wells constituency in 2017, polling only 320 votes and finishing in last place.

Peter Richardson, the UK Independence Party candidate, stood for his party in the Somerton division at the local elections in 2022 – but he only polled 97 votes, finishing a distant last place out of six candidates.

The field is rounded out by two newcomers: Bruce Evans, who is standing for Reform UK (formerly the Brexit Party) and independent socialist candidate Rosie Mitchell.

The full list of candidates in alphabetical order (as it will appear on the ballot paper) is as follows:

• Lorna Clarke (Christian People's Alliance)
• Martin Dimery (Green)
• Sarah Dyke (Liberal Democrats)
• Bruce Evans (Reform UK)
• Neil Guild (Labour)
• Rosie Mitchell (Independent)
• Faye Purbrick (Conservative)
• Peter Richardson (UKIP)

Residents living within the constituency have until Tuesday, July 4 to register to vote by visiting www.gov.uk/register-to-vote.

Those voting in person will require voter ID when they visit a polling station – with acceptable forms of ID including a passport, driving licence or an older person's bus pass.

The final date to apply for a postal vote is Wednesday, July 5. Those without the necessary ID can apply for a free voter authority certificate (VAC) by Wednesday, July 12.

The Somerton and Frome by-election will be held on the same day as two other by-elections – the Uxbridge and South Ruislip by-election (to replace former prime minister Boris Johnson) and the Selby and Ainsty by-election (to replace incumbent MP Nigel Adams).

A further by-election for the Mid Bedfordshire constituency, to replace former culture secretary Nadine Dorries, will take place later in the year.