Residents who are considering standing in the county elections in May are being encouraged to attend one of two information sessions to find out more about the role.

All Devon County Council’s 60 seats are up for grabs next year, giving people the chance to represent one of the constituencies.

Right now Devon is run by the Conservatives, who have 38 seats.

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So far, only one councillor has stated they will stand down at the election, Cllr John Hart (Conservative, Bickleigh and Wembury) who stepped down as leader after 15 years this April, and is now its chair.

Residents considering standing can register to attend events being held at County Hall in December and January.

The first 90-minute session, which is being held at 5pm on Tuesday, December 10, has already had 70 people sign up to attend either in-person or online.

The second event will take place at 9am on Thursday 16 January.

Attendees will be able to find out more about what the council does and the responsibilities involved, including the time commitment, and how to balance the role alongside other work.

The authority wants to encourage a “diverse group of candidates”, to get people of all ages and backgrounds to run in the elections.