The battle to become the next MP for the marginal constituency of the City of Chester will be a three horse race.

Nominations for candidates to stand in the General Election on June 8 closed on Thursday and Cheshire West and Chester Council has released details of everyone who will be taking part in the four constituencies covered by the local authority.

The simplest list of all can be found in Chester where incumbent MP Chris Matheson, who lives in Hoole, will fight to retain the seat for Labour with a slender majority of just 93.

He is up against Hough Green resident Will Gallagher who has been selected by the Conservatives while Lizzie Jewkes of Ellesmere Port is the choice of the Liberal Democrats.

Earlier this week, The Green Party revealed they would not be putting up a candidate in Chester and were urging their supporters to cast their vote for Mr Matheson.

To counter this, UKIP have also not thrown their hat into the Chester ring, with the national party having admitted they may take this step in areas which are major targets for the Tories.

The most crowded ballot paper in the area will be for the largely rural constituency of Eddisbury which is currently securely held by Antoinette Sandbach for the Tories with a 12,974 majority.

Labour have chosen Cathy Reynolds while Ian Priestner of Utkinton is the choice of the Liberal Democrats. The Greens have gone for Mark Green of Moulton and John Bickley of Cuddington will represent UKIP.

The unusual element here is the decision by the Pirate Party to stand one of only 10 candidates throughout the UK in Eddisbury with Morgan Hill of Winsford chosen to fight the seat on their behalf.

In the usually safe Labour seat of Ellesmere Port and Neston, Little Sutton resident Justin Madders is confident of resuming his position of MP on the back of his current majority of more than 6,000. He is up against Nigel Jones of Ness for the Tories, Ed Gough for the Lib Dems, Fred Fricker for UKIP and Steven Baker for the Green Party.

Finally, there could be a nail-biting finish in Weaver Vale where current Tory MP Graham Evans has a majority of less than 1,000. Once again, UKIP has decided not to contest a Tory target seat so Mr Evans will find himself up against Mike Amesbury of Whalley Bridge for Labour, Paul Roberts of Farndon for the Lib Dems and Chris Copeman for the Green Party.