Tomorrow, voters across Hounslow will hit the polls for the local elections.

People living in the borough's 20 wards must choose the councillors they want to represent them for the next four years.

For all the recent cuts, the victors will still get to decide how more than £620 million of public money is spent each year.

Labour secured a comfortable victory in 2010, ousting the Conservative-led coalition to regain power. But they will be wary of the threat from the Independent Community Group (ICG), whose poor showing four years ago has been widely ascribed to the fact the general elections took place on the same day, with many people voting along national party lines.

UKIP will be hoping to capitalise on the fact this year's local elections are taking place alongside the European ballot. They have 17 candidates standing, including a full complement of three in Hanworth Park and Isleworth.

The Liberal Democrats are languishing in the national polls and are widely predicted to suffer at the local elections, but the group are confident voters locally will recognise their local campaigning in the borough.

The Green Party, meanwhile, are focusing their efforts in Chiswick, where group leader Daniel Goldsmith insists they are not just there to make up the numbers.

A total of 60 seats are up for grabs, with 31 needed for any one party to gain overall control. At present, Labour hold 35 seats and the Tories 20, with four UKIP councillors and one independent making up the numbers.

Below, we look at what could be some of the key battlegrounds.

BEDFONT: This was one of the most closely contested wards in 2010, with Labour taking two seats and deputy opposition leader Liz Mammatt claiming the third for the Conservatives.

Only a small swing is needed for either party to capitalise, with Ms Mammatt having taken the third seat by just 84 votes from Labour rival Cliffe Morgan and fellow Tory Bernard Pruden finishing 61 votes behind Labour's Tom Bruce.

BRENTFORD: Labour have a healthy majority but the ICG are putting forward their first candidate in the ward, Dave Cox, the former chairman of the recently disbanded residents group HFTRA, who could be a dark horse.

FELTHAM NORTH: The Conservatives took all three seats in 2010 but Gill Hutchison has since defected to UKIP, Allan Wilson has become an independent and former group leader Mark Bowen is stepping down to spend more time with his family.

Ms Hutchison will be hoping to retain her seat as a UKIP councillor, while former council leader John Chatt is among those looking to make inroads for Labour, who were just 86 votes shy of taking the third seat last time around.

HANWORTH: It's all change here, with none of the two Labour and one Tory councillors standing for re-election in the ward. Last time around, Labour's Mukesh Malhotra was 256 votes shy of Tory Andy Morgan-Watts, but the second most popular Conservative candidate Ann Daraz was just 113 votes away from getting elected. The absence of Hanworth Independent Alliance Candidates, who scored respectably last time, could prove key.

HANWORTH PARK: Another ward dominated by the Conservatives in 2010 but where the party has been hit by the defections of Rebecca Stewart and Beverley Williams to UKIP, who are also putting forward John Ball for selection.

Opposition leader Peter Thompson says his group has focused considerable efforts on regaining this ward, while Labour's candidates include Bishnu Gurung, who is hoping to become what it is believed would be Hounslow's first Gurkha councillor.

HOUNSLOW SOUTH: This may be a Conservative monopoly but Labour's Zara Malik finished just 55 votes behind Tory Brad Fisher in 2010 and only 275 votes separated the top-polling Conservative candidate Lin Davies from the lowest placed Labour one, Dave Wetzel.

ISLEWORTH: This has been one of the most bitterly contested wards, with accusations of foul play ringing out from all corners. It was held until 2010 by the ICG, who are desperate to wrest back control of the ward from Labour.

The ICG has accused Labour and UKIP of teaming up to plant Labour stooges as UKIP candidates in a bid to split the protest vote, something both Labour and UKIP strongly deny.

In response, UKIP leader Colin Botterill claims the ICG has colluded with former UKIP candidate David W Griffiths in a bid to discredit the party. ICG campaigns manager Phil Andrews says he has never even spoken to Mr Griffiths, who claims to still represent UKIP despite standing as an independent.

Labour's candidates include cabinet members Ed Mayne and Sue Sampson, who herself has come under fire after a memorial stone bearing her name appeared on Isleworth Green weeks before the election.

SYON: Another ward the ICG will be hoping to win back from Labour, having held all three seats in 2010. The Conservatives also have Syon in their sights, hacing made up ground at the last elections, when Brenda Pooley finished 282 votes behind Jason Ellar. Steve Curran, cabinet member for housing, planning and regeneration, is among the Labour candidates.

You can check out the group's manifestos and much more on our Hounslow local elections page .

Polling booths will be open from 7am to 10pm tomorrow, Thursday, May 22. You can find your nearest polling station here .

The count will begin the following morning and we'll be keeping you up to date with results as they're announced on Friday.