Liberal Democrat mayoral candidate Peter Taylor shares his manifesto

Peter Taylor, who is currently deputy mayor, is fighting to fill the boots of current mayor Dorothy Thornhill who is stepping down after 16 years.

The Lib Dems have pledged to maintain a "thriving" local economy, provide high quality council services, and protect vulnerable people in Watford.

Key pledges in the party's manifesto include multi-million pound investment at Woodside Playing Fields, creating a mixed use family orientated play centre.

It also includes a new wheeled sports facility and cafe at Oxhey Park North, as well as investment across a number of other parks in the town.

Major refurbishments to Watford Cycle Hub, the creation of a "hop on hop off" bus, and a new bike hire scheme, like in London are also in the manifesto.

The manifesto also pledges to work with charity New Hope to tackle homelessness.

A new visitor car park is also on the agenda at Watford General Hospital which could be completed by the end of 2019.

Mr Taylor said: "I want to continue the work of Dorothy Thornhill, helping the town to keep moving forwards. That means ensuring that we have a council that supports local businesses as well as one that cares about the most vulnerable in our town. I’ll work to improve our bus services, invest in our leisure facilities and make Watford a ‘Dementia Friendly’ town.

"The job of the mayor is to speak up for Watford, whether it be dealing with the government, county council or health authorities. I will always put Watford’s interests first and be a strong voice for our town."

Mayor Dorothy Thornhill added: "We’ve got a record to be proud of in Watford. This manifesto doesn’t only just recognise our achievements, but also looks to the future challenges in terms of housing pressures and the London mayor’s decision to pull the plug on the Met Line Extension.

"As my deputy mayor, Peter has shown he has the head, heart and guts for the job. He would make a first-class mayor and would be a champion for our town."