A Pole standing for UKIP, a teenager and the granddaughter of political heavyweight Tony Benn are among those looking for election to Croydon Council next Thursday.

UKIP is not traditionally thought of as a party for immigrants but Polish banker Przemek Skwirczynski, 31, believes the party is the "natural choice" of Croydon’s Eastern Europeans.

Mr Skwirczynski (pictured below), who plans to campaign for a London Underground extension to Croydon if elected to Norbury ward, believes the London Road Polish community could help him win his seat.

Your Local Guardian: Przemek Skwirczynski is running for Ukip in Norbury

He joined Nigel Farage’s party after quitting the Conservatives last year and said: "I am in accordance with their more common sense view of migration. "There should not be a free flow of people."

With Labour stalwart Tony Benn as her grandfather it is no surprise that Emily Benn’s first political experience was campaigning for him in his Chesterfield constituency in the 1992 general election at age two.

In the 2010 general election she was the youngest Labour parliamentary candidate but came third in the East Worthing and Shoreham constituency.

Your Local Guardian: Przemek Skwirczynski believes UKIP is the "natural choice" of Croydon's Eastern Europeans

The 24-year-old (pictured above) hopes she will have more luck on a council level in the Labour stronghold of West Thornton.

While other 18-year-olds will be voting for the first time on Thursday night, Conservative candidate Ben Flook will hope to be voted for.

Mr Flook first became involved in politics during the 2010 election when he was 14 and faces a tough challenge as he contests Norbury.

Your Local Guardian: Ben Flook

But the keen cricketer (pictured above) is not put off by the prospect of trying to dent a safe Labour seat in his first election.

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