Ukip says it is hoping to part the sea of Conservative blue in this year’s Marlow local elections as candidates from the eurosceptic party appear on Marlow ballot papers for the very first time.

As well as parliamentary candidate Tim Scott, there are seven Ukip candidates hoping to win places on the district, town and parish councils across Marlow as the party pounces on a surge in popularity nationwide.

Candidates include Trudy Bloomfield, who is hoping to beat current WDC leader Richard Scott and serving mayor Suzanne Brown to one of two seats on the district body.

She said: “UKIP councillors are in a unique position as we do not have to toe the party line.

“That leaves us able to act in the best interests of our constituents and unhindered by party policy.”

In 2011's council and district elections, the Conservatives took every available seat that went to the public vote.

Vying for a district seat for Ukip in Marlow North and West is former Marlow B&B owner and businessman John Gooding.

He said Ukip would campaign to establish a unitary authority for the county, meaning district and county councils would be merged into one single body as a cost saving measure.

Beverley Emans, Marian Mulady and Pam Mackusick make up the other three Ukip hopefuls standing in town and district elections for the Marlow area.

Elsewhere, Liberal Democrat supporters in Marlow will hope their candidates fare better than in 2011’s local elections, when key figures lost their seats amid a Conservative whitewash.

Former mayor Maurice Oram - affectionately dubbed "Mr Marlow" - did not retain his town council seat, with seven more of his party colleagues losing out on district seats across central Marlow wards.

Though Mr Oram will not stand again, a new raft of candidates have emerged - albeit fewer than four years ago, with four hopefuls contesting the central Marlow district seats compared to six last time out.

Elsewhere, David Hampton returns for the Green Party vying for the district council seat he failed to secure in 2011, as well as aiming for Parliament in the General Election.

And several independent candidates have thrown their hats into the ring, including businessman John Ansell, who says he wants to give Marlovians an alternative to the one-party system dominating Marlow Town Council.