Polish residents are being told to 'Zaglosuj na Partie Zielonych' - or vote Green - in a hotly contested by-election.

About 500 leaflets have been printed in a bid to sway Brighton's burgeoning Polish population.

The Green Party is distributing the election material urging the eastern Europeans to register before the Regency by-election on December 13 and vote for their candidate Jason Kitcat.

Elections are usually tight in the ward because of a low turnout and a high turnover of voters.

Mr Kitcat said that extra votes from the new arrivals could be key to the outcome but added the leaflets were also trying to encourage Poles to engage with their politics.

Between 500 and 1,000 Poles live in the ward, according to the Greens, and St Mary Magdalene Church, Upper North Street, Brighton, hosts a well-attended Polish mass every Sunday which often spills out into the street.

Shops selling Polish products have sprung up across the city, plus special evenings are held at nightclubs and the Tin Drum in Dyke Road, Seven Dials, has introduced a Polish menu.

Some 2,500 Poles started work in Brighton and Hove in the last five year, mostly in hospitality and building.

Mr Kitcat, whose wife is Polish, said: "For decades Poles have been playing important roles in our country.

"Since becoming EU citizens, they have made, and continue to make, a major contribution to local life and to our economy.

"We very much welcome their work ethic, and would like to encourage them, along with all residents, to participate in civic life by exercising their right to vote in local and European elections.

"With a Polish wife and Polish relatives living in Brighton and Hove, I see at first-hand the issues Poles and other EU citizens face when moving into the city.

"I'm concerned about the low quality of rented housing many are forced to live in and the pressure some employers put them under.

"Poles have a deep seated appreciation of nature and connection with the seasons. Their dedication to traditional skills, seasonal foods and love of the countryside connects them with the core values of the Green Party.

"We have to reach out to people and although Poles have good enough English to get through their working life they often haven't had the chance of learning the vocabulary of politics. It is about building bridges.

"We are doing it because there is a significant population in Brighton and they want to participate in decisions in the city."

Five politicians are vying for the Regency ward seat after Green councillor Hermione Roy stood down due to ill health: Tony Davenport, Brighton and Hove Independents; Robert Nemeth, Conservatives; Simon Doyle, Liberal Democrats; And Delia Forester, Labour.

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