A FORMER Stourbridge psychic turned aspiring politician is predicting success for UKIP in the forthcoming elections.

Sabina Heywood has put her tarot card reading and fortune telling days behind her and is standing as a candidate for the purple party in Pedmore and Stourbridge East the Dudley Council local election.

The 51-year-old mum-of-two, who now provides counselling support to people with problems, faces a tough fight against former Mayor and sitting Conservative councillor Ian Kettle, as well as Labour, Liberal Democrat and Green party candidates.

Previous UKIP candidate for the ward, Glen Wilson, made inroads in last year's council elections, coming second to Conservative Mike Wood, who still won by a comfortable majority of 1,101.

Labour's Julie Baines, who was just pipped into third place by UKIP last year, is standing again and the line-up is complete with Simon Hanson for the Liberal Democrats and Liz Tilly, of the Green party.

Ms Heywood, of The Crescent, Pedmore, who lives with her partner of 11 years, said she aims to stand up for "the strength of the family", children and education and she believes Pedmore needs a woman's touch as male councillors have occupied all three of the ward's seats in recent years.

She said: "I'll be standing up for mothers and children and it would be nice to have a woman councillor in Pedmore, which has been male dominated for some time."

Conservative councillor Ian Kettle, however, is keen to retain his seat and said he's "fighting the campaign with confidence". He added: "No-one takes the election for granted. I'll take on anyone whether they're psychic or otherwise."

Lancashire-born Ms Heywood was brought up as a Labour supporter but turned to UKIP because she shared the party's stance on taking Britain out of Europe.

She met UKIP leader Nigel Farage recently at a fundraising event in Redditch and said she found him "charismatic, a fantastic speech-maker, who thinks on his feet".

Ms Heywood has done voluntary work as a radio presenter at Dudley's Russells Hall Hospital and gained her counselling certificate at Stourbridge College in 2002.

She makes no secret of her former role as a medium, clairvoyant, astrology and Tarot card reader - saying "you can't help it if you're psychic".

But she said: "That was just something I was interested in about 15 years ago; I'm a businesswoman and I've had children since."

She stresses she gained ten O Levels at grammar school, studied economics and public affairs at A Level and has run businesses, including a hat shop.

Although she no longer works as a fortune teller, she predicts "UKIP are going to do rather well in the election - better than people expect".

She added: "There has been a lot of trashing of UKIP in the media - and I just wonder what they are scared of."

Stourbridge UKIP branch and West Midlands regional chairman Major Robins shares her view and believes the party can double its seven seats on Dudley Council in the local election.

For a full list of local election candidates standing for seats on Dudley Council click here.