TWO men are in the running to be nominated as the Labour candidate for the Gwent Police Commissioner election in November, the Argus has learned.

Welsh Labour said that Hamish Sandison will be joined by Josh Worrad on the ballot paper to Labour party members, to be sent out next week.

The party said Gaer councillor Mark Whitcutt had put his name forward but withdrew it following Labour’s Newport council win.

Mr Worrad, of Newport, ran for election as a Labour candidate in the city council ward of St Julians on the May 3 elections but lost out by one vote to Lib Dem sitting councillor Ed Townsend.

Mr Sandison, who was a former Labour parliamentary candidate for Monmouth, won endorsements for his nomination from a number of Gwent Labour politicians, including Jessica Morden, Paul Murphy and Rosemary Butler.

A spokesman for Welsh Labour said ballot papers are to go out to members in the Gwent Police area on the weekend of May 25, and need to be returned by June 13.

An announcement will take place soon after June 13.

The election itself is due to take place on November 15.