Now is the time to stand up and be counted for the good of Helston.

This is the message from one shopkeeper in the town, who has started a campaign urging people to stand in the town council election this May.

Gillian Geer, of Gillian’s Tubs in Meneage Street, has used her shop window to encourage people to pop inside and talk about standing.

She told the Packet: “My concern is that most people in Helston are oblivious to the dates.

“The town has now to stand up and be counted, and put themselves forward. The more people that we can get to do that the better for the town.”

She stressed that her intention was not to get the current council thrown out, but merely to get democracy to run its course.

“All I’m saying is, let’s make everybody fight for their seat.

“There’s never been a concerted effort to get as many standing as possible. If nobody puts themselves forward then the people who do will get in automatically,” she said, adding that this was no good for any community.

Mrs Geer said she was prepared to stand herself should it come to that, but believed there were better candidates out there.

“Everybody needs to be aware that it’s no good to complain unless you actually do something about it,” she added.

The election will take place on May 2, but before then people must be nominated as a candidate.

Completed papers must be submitted after the Notice of Election is published on Wednesday, March 20 but before the deadline of noon on Friday, April 5.

Mrs Geer described this two-week time frame as “ludicrous” and she had hoped to have nomination forms in her shop from now, but was unable to do so.

In the meantime she hoped to take the details for anyone interested in standing and then ensure they had the necessary form next month.

Anyone over the age of 18 can stand if they have correct citizenship and are either registered to vote in the town, has in the preceding 12 months owned or rented land, worked there or lived within 4.8km of Helston’s boundaries.