Nominations have closed for next month's Oxfordshire County Council elections - and point to a fierce battle for power.

No single party has overall control of the council, although the Tories are the largest group with 26 seats.

Nominations for the 70 seats, which are all being contested, closed at noon yesterday.

The Liberal Democrats are snapping at the Conservatives' heels with 21. One seat behind is Labour, followed by the Green Party with two seats and one Independent.

The authority has been a "hung" council for many years with the main parties involved in cross-party deals to reach agreement.

Conservative leader Keith Mitchell is predicting that the Tories will take control of the council.

In Oxford Central, Sushila Dhall will be trying to keep her seat to make sure the Greens still have a voice on the county council. Fellow Green councillor Craig Simmons is also defending his seat in the St Clement's ward.

In Oxford Cherwell ward, former Lord Mayor Janet Todd is standing for the Conservatives. In her eighties, she has campaigned to stop the city's education system switching from three-tier to two-tier.

West Oxfordshire provides 11 of the county councillors and their current party make-up broadly reflects the constituency's voting at the last General Election - five Conservatives, and three each for Labour and the Liberal Democrats.

In North Oxfordshire, the Tories look set to dominate outside urban Banbury. In Bicester and surrounding areas, Tories hold five seats.

In the Vale, the Liberal Democrats are determined to strengthen their grip but they face powerful challenges from Conservatives, Labour and the Green Party. Fifty-three candidates will fight for 13 seats.

The Greens are challenging the three major parties for Didcot's seats on Oxfordshire County Council.

While Conservatives and Liberal Democrats dominated the county council elections in the Wallingford area in 1997, Labour and Green candidates are set to give them a run for their money this time.