WITH campaigning over, polling day tomorrow will see one of the most tightly fought General Election contests in Redditch in years.

Labour's Jacqui Smith is defending a majority of just 2,484 against Conservative Karen Lumley and the outcome is far from certain, especially with Liberal Democrat Nigel Hicks hoping to make great in-roads and UKIP's John Ison also hoping for a groundswell of support.

Redditch is number 42 on the Tory's list of top target seats.

Labour's campaign blitz saw Chancellor Gordon Brown in town last week, as well as Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon at Heller Machine Tools in Moons Moat and Solicitor General Harriet Harman at the Sandy Croft Centre in Smallwood.

Mr Brown announced more help for redundant MG Rover workers during his visit to Redditch NEW College on Wednesday and met the Rover Taskforce.

Meanwhile, the Conservatives fielded ''rising Tory star'' and Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury George Osborne on their campaign trail. He visited Hillcrest Mental Health Unit in Woodrow.

Mr Osborne said: "More money needs to be ploughed into the mental health service, which is clearly neglected at the moment."

Voter turnout in the 2001 General Election was a poor 59 per cent.

Polling stations are open from 7am-10pm tomorrow.

l Parliamentary candidates in the Bromsgrove Constituency are Julie Kirkbride (Conservative), David Jones (Labour), Sue Haswell (Liberal Democrat) and Paul Buckingham (UKIP). Ms Kirkbride is defending a majority of 8,138.

l Worcestershire and Warwickshire county council seats are also up for grabs tomorrow. The Advertiser listed the Redditch Worcestershire County Council candidates on April 13.

In Studley, the candidates for Warwickshire County Council are: Mike Gerrard (Labour), Helen McCarthy (Conservative) and Susan Pritchard (Liberal Democrat).

l All the election results will be featured on the Advertiser's website on Friday, with a full round-up of Thursday night's events in next week's paper.

Go to www.thisisredditch.co.uk