THE big day is finally here - with voters across Worcestershire going to the polls in the General and local elections.

After weeks of door-knocking, leafleting, visits from high-profile politicians and hustings debates, D-Day has arrived for all our hopefuls.

All the profile in recent weeks has fallen on the General Election, but it's also a high stakes affair at Worcester City Council today, which is going to the polls on a knife-edge with its 'hung' status.

Of the 35 councillors at the Guildhall 17 are Conservative and 15 are Labour with one Green, one Lib Dem and a single independent.

This time last year, the Mayor of Worcester Councillor Alan Amos dramatically quit Labour to become the lone independent, using his vote to see his old party dumped from power to usher in a minority Tory administration.

A swing of just one seat could therefore see a potential change of control, with the 'magic number' of 18 required for any party, or Coalition of parties, to run the city.

In Worcester as well as the 71,717 voters registered to take part in the General Election today, some 58,229 householders will be able to vote in the city council contest.

Eleven seats are up for grabs across 11 different Worcester wards, with 54 candidates vying to get elected including a full sweep of hopefuls for the Conservatives, Labour, Green Party and UKIP.

Conservative Councillor Simon Geraghty, city council leader, said: "Many of the key battlegrounds are up and because we've got a General Election, it means the turnout in the city wards will pretty much double.

"What that will mean for the outcome is the 64 million dollar question.

"We've got a good track record and an experienced team and have been campaigning on what we've done and our future plans.

"That includes freezing council tax and car parking charges, more investments into the city, more enhancements of the riverside, the new eight-lane swimming pool.

"We've got a clear corporate plan and want to continue our investments in the city.

"People have got two votes this year and I'd urge them to use both."

Councillor Adrian Gregson, Labour group leader, who ran the council for 12 months before losing power last year, said: "There was lots of enthusiasm, ambition and support when we were in control, the way it was taken away from us was very irresponsible.

"I think we deserve the right to continue with the work we started and the direction the city was travelling in.

"I'm not making any predictions, the polls are very interesting but around here we don't often do what the national polls suggest.

"I'm keeping an open mind."

Elsewhere, the Liberal Democrats are contesting two seats, in Claines and Bedwardine.

The party is hoping to retain its Claines seat, where it is facing a fierce battle with the Conservatives.

Sue Askin, from Worcester's Liberal Democrats, said: "We want to keep Claines and put up a good showing in Bedwardine, and hopefully then build on Bedwardine in the future.

"It will be a close result but we've put a lot of work in, we're confident we'll do well."

The Greens will be aiming to build on its single city council seat held by Neil Laurenson.

Louis Stephen, the party's parliamentary candidate and branch chair, said: "We are hoping to get St Stephen, for a number of years we've put an amazing effort in there, we'll be very disappointed if we don't win in that ward but we've got to be realistic, it will be very tight.

"We're quite hopeful."

UKIP's James Goad said: "We're optimistic, as we saw when we came second in eight of the 11 city council seats last year, we've got support across the city.

"We will do well but whether that translates to seats under the first-past-the-post system, I don't know - but we only need one or two to hold the balance of control on the council."

The 54 city candidates include four from the BNP, three from the Trade Unionists and Socialist Coalition (TUSC) and one independent.

Worcester's 52 polling stations will open from 7am until 10pm today, the same as the rest of the nation.

As well as Worcester City Council, Wychavon District Council and Malvern Hills District Council votes will be counted tomorrow, with the city's effort kicking off at midday.

The General Election results will be counted in all the constituencies from 10pm tonight, with the results expected in the early hours of tomorrow morning.