CLACTON’S General Election battle comes just seven months after the town’s high-profile by-election.

Douglas Carswell made political history in October by becoming Ukip’s first elected MP.

Mr Carswell quit the Clacton seat after resigning from the Conservative Party, triggering a by-election, which he won with an increased majority in Ukip colours.

The Ukip MP is favourite to win the 2015 Clacton election with a large majority, but could face a stronger challenge from both Conservative candidate Giles Watling and Labour’s Tim Young.

Green candidate Chris Southall will also hope to improve on his by-election success, when he pushed the Lib Dems into fifth place.

Of the main parties, four of the five candidates are returning to contest the seat following the by-election.

David Grace takes over as the Lib Dem candidate from Andrew Graham, who makes way after polling just 483 votes in October.

Current incumbent Mr Carswell won the by-election with 21,113 votes, almost 60 per cent of the vote.

Frinton actor and councillor Mr Watling, who starred in the 1980s sitcom Bread, polled 8,709 votes in October, but hopes to eat into Mr Carswell’s majority.

Mr Young, a Colchester councillor and former Clacton schoolboy, said the people of Clacton wanted to send Prime Minister David Cameron a message during the by-election, but the General Election would be a different story as people focus on national issues.

The election is likely to be fought on the same issues as the by-election, which included controversial plans for up to 12,000 newhomes in the district, as well as the lack of spaces at GP surgeries.

The constituency will once again brace itself for high profile visits from ministers and the shadow cabinet, but it is not expected to rival the media circus of the by-election.