Retired nurse Thelma Friend stands for the first time for election to Worcestershire County Council.

She stands with a wealth of personal knowledge of social services and medical care involvement.

She will be a very active member of the Conservative team and its future involvement with the New Primary Care Trust set up recently in Wyre Forest.

She has been a Wyre Forest resident for 22 years and spends most of her retirement devoted to working for many local charitable organisations.

When elected,she says: "I will stand up for our rural communities, especially in the light of the current countryside crisis and the problems they have endured over the past four years under New Labour.

"Under a Conservative administration at County Hall, I will play an active part in helping the new Conservative-controlled county council to rebuild the devastation caused by Labour, supported by the Liberal Democrats, in this county over the past four years.