Four candidates will contest the upcoming Van ward by-election for Caerphilly County Borough Council on Thursday, February 19.

The election is being held following the death of Cllr Christine Forehead, who had represented Labour on the council since its establishment in 1995, and before that served on the former Rhymney Valley District Council.

Ahead of polling day, each party was invited to set out why their chosen candidate was in the running.

Listed here in alphabetical order, here’s what the candidates had to say:

Welsh Labour candidate Matthew Ferris is a former teacher who spent 22 years as the head of history at St Martin’s School.

As a “long-standing” trade unionist, he served as NASUWT Cymru’s Caerphilly branch secretary before working full-time for the union in the South West.

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© South Wales Argus