Gloucester Labour have announced their candidate for the forthcoming by-election in Westgate.

Retired nuclear expert Trevor Howard has thrown his hat into the ring for the vote which is due to take place in a few weeks.

He has lived in the ward for more than 30 years with his children going to school there and felt it was time to "give something back" to the community.

He said: "Having lived in the ward for so long, I know the challenges it's facing, but I know what amazing potential it has too. It's a brilliant place to live and I want to give my fellow residents the council representation that they deserve."

The vote was triggered by the resignation of Conservative councillor Dawn Melvin who stepped down from Gloucester City Council after seven years due to "private family reasons".

Lib Dems announced their candidate  earlier this week- charity worker Rebecca Trimnell but the Conservatives have not named theirs.

Mr Howard is a volunteer church leader at Brunswick Baptist Church and presenter on Severn Radio and will be donating his councillor's allowance to charity.

Now retired, he worked for many years in the nuclear sector, focusing on problem-solving when system failures occurred and said his experience will come in handy on Gloucester City Council.

He said: "It's easy to see what's not working, but sometimes the solutions are harder to see. "Rather than just treating the symptoms, we need to look at the cause. Why are things going so wrong, and more importantly, what can we do to put it right?

"I'll be using my experience and my voice to find solutions and make change for Westgate residents."

Leader of the Labour Group on Gloucester City Council Terry Pullen said: "Trevor is a brilliant candidate and will make a fantastic councillor. As a Westgate resident he knows the area well and already has a good sense of the issues the ward is facing. He's ready to hit the ground running and has the experience and determination to make a real impact."

Gloucester Labour's Parliamentary candidate Alex McIntyre has also backed him and said: "Labour are the challengers here in Westgate and the only viable alternative to more years of Tory representation.

"Trevor will make an excellent councillor, representing the area that he's lived in for so long and bringing a fresh face and fresh ideas to this campaign."

A date for the election has yet to be announced.