Worcestershire's Adrian Kriss is facing a testing few weeks.

The 48-year-old chiropodist is standing as an independent parliamentary candidate in Bromsgrove.

The West Midlands seat, which was held by Julie Kirkbride, is one of the most contested in England with nine candidates running.

Mr Kriss tells People: "My patients were saying that they were unhappy with the current seat and that they weren't going to vote. So I decided to give the people of Bromsgrove the choice. There is a Christian, a Jew and a BNP candidate who are all going for the seat - I'm sure there's a joke in there somewhere."

Julie Kirkbride and her husband Andrew MacKay, who was
MP for Bracknell, have stood down in the wake of the expenses scandal.

He says: "My views are conservative but I am standing as an independent candidate."

In addition to his political campaign, Mr Kriss, who was adopted at birth, is also in the process of trying to trace his natural mother - an American from Poughkeepsie.

"Both my adoptive parents have died and I want to find out more about my original background.

"The Beth Din were only able to provide me with her name, date of birth and confirmation that she was Jewish. No evidential records survive. I have hired a private investigator but it is very difficult."

He is flying to Poughkeepsie to continue his search after the election. "I've always enjoyed challenges," says Mr Kriss, who is divorced with two children.