Transgender actress Mjka Scott will be standing for the Greens in May as a city councillor.

Her opponents in Queen's Park ward will include Labour city council leader Ken Bodfish.

The ward covers the St James's Street area and has a large lesbian, gay. bisexual and transgender (LGBT) population.

Greens say New Labour has served these groups poorly, nationally and locally, and they should have the opportunity to put their arguments to voters.

Also standing for the Greens are Nigel Tart, a teacher and activist in the LGBT community, and Becky Whale, a policy officer in an HIV/AIDS charity.

Mjka Scott is a campaigner for transgender equality and was a founder member of Press for Change, a legal equality group for transgender people.

She appears regularly in shows in London's West End and Brighton, most recently in Dick, the alternative Dick Whittington play at the Marlborough Theatre.