A drugs charity worker, the head of an education charity and a former councillor will fight to represent Surbiton Hill in next month’s byelection.

Councillor Umesh Parekh is standing down after getting a job at Friends of the Earth, which bans staff from holding a council seat.

The Liberal Democrats, who had advance notice of Councillor Parekh’s resignation, were first out of the blocks, selecting former accountant John Ayles.

Mr Ayles, who has lived in Corkran Road for nearly 25 years with his GP wife, runs a charity that supports schools, youth organisations and people under 25 in Southwark.

Labour hope 29-year-old Katie Hill will become the only Labour voice in the Guildhall, following their wipe out in May 2010.

She works for a charity in the drug addiction field in London, and has lived near Surbiton Station for 10 years.

Surbiton Hill Tories will select their candidate on Monday, August 15, with former councillors Paul Johnston and Nick Kilby fighting each other to get their name on the ballot paper.