Former Labour city councillor Steve Collier is to stand for election in May as an independent.

Councillor Collier has represented South Portslade on Hove Council and Brighton and Hove City Council since 1991.

He resigned from the Labour Party last year over policy and has continued to sit for the ward.

Coun Collier, 47, has specialised in environmental issues. He is deputy convenor of the new Sustainability Commission.

He works for the housing and legal aid centre of Brighton Housing Trust.

Coun Collier said: "I shall take up issues raised by local people as I always have. I shall continue my concern with the environment.

"I also don't think council housing should be sold and I am opposed to war with Iraq.

"A lot of people on the council are concerned with hyping up their self importance instead of serving the people."

The other two councillors for South Portslade, both Labour, are Sue John and Les Hamilton. They are both standing again.

In recent years, the ward has been won by Labour but in the past both Tories and the Liberals have won seats there.

The ward will be reduced from three councillors to only two in May.

Tory Brian Rowe has been chosen to fight a crucial marginal ward in the city elections.

Coun Rowe, former Tory group leader on Hove Council, will contest Goldsmid ward.

The existing ward, to be expanded after boundary changes, has one Labour, one Liberal Democrat and one independent councillor but has usually been won by the Tories.

Coun Rowe, a keen sportsman, is married with three children and four grandchildren.

Also standing for the Tories in Goldsmid will be Anne Giebeler, who runs her own business, and Steve Harmer-Strange, a training consultant.