THE GENERAL Election campaign is now in its second official week, but off-beat characters with a yen to try to become an MP, still have a week to get their nomination papers in.

All they need is £500 deposit and a nomination paper signed by ten local electors, safely in by the closing date at 4pm on Tuesday, May 22 to the district council offices.

In the Wycombe constituency everyone has known who the main contenders will be for months. The Conservative MP for the past 23 years, Sir Ray Whitney, is retiring and Paul Goodman, a Daily Telegraph journalist, was chosen in July to succeed him as prospective candidate.

The Conservative majority in many places plummeted in 1997 and Wycombe was no exception. Sir Ray's 13,000 majority dropped to 2,390, which in theory leaves the possibility of tactical voting putting in Labour, which came second.

The Labour candidate is local economics lecturer and district councillor Chauhdry Shafique and Dee Tomlin, chairman of Wokingham District Council, is standing for the Lib Dems.

There are at present only two other candidates, Chris Cooke for the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) and the Green's John Laker. Mr Laker is the only candidate who fought the Wycombe seat last time round. The Natural Law Party is not putting up candidates.

Polling day is Thursday, June 7 with polling stations open from 7am to 10pm. People who want a postal vote should apply to the district council as soon as possible.

Elections to Buckinghamshire County Council are being held on the same date.

Candidates so far:

WYCOMBE: Paul Goodman (Con); John Laker (Green); Chauhdry Shafique (Lab); Dee Tomlin (Lib Dem); Christopher Cooke (UKIP).

AYLESBURY: David Lidington (Con); Peter Jones (Lib Dem); Keith White (Lab); Justin Harper (UKIP)

BEACONSFIELD: Dominic Grieve (Con); Stephen Lathrope (Lab); Steven Lloyd (Lib Dem); Andrew Moffat (UKIP).

CHESHAM and AMERSHAM: Cheryl Gillan (Con); Nick Wilkins (Green); Ken Hulme (Lab); John Ford (Lib Dem); Ian Harvey (UKIP).