People in Hartlepool go to the polls today in what is likely to be the last vote before the General Election next summer. Neil Hunter takes a look at how the nine-week by-election campaign has taken shape.

THEY say a week's a long time in politics - well, try nine of them. The by-election in Hartlepool has been an arduous affair for the candidates and their campaign teams.

At a public debate this week, when the politicians and party workers could agree on very little, they were unanimous about one thing.

"It's been an ordeal," was the consensus. "Roll on Thursday night."

Since the prospect of a by-election first raised its head on Friday, July 23, we've had soap stars, spin, sniping and superheroes.

But an 's' that's been largely missing from the battle to replace Peter Mandelson in Hartlepool is serious political debate.

The campaign has been dogged by personal attacks on candidates, backbiting, rows over who's the most local, and allegations of lying.

What the electorate has not been given much of, is a chance to hear what the parties stand for, and what they will do for them.

We've seen Labour attack the LibDem candidate, a barrister, for having once represented a drug addict in court - and for being from out of town.

We've seen the UK Independence Party candidate turn up at Labour's campaign headquarters with his birth certificate because it had been suggested he wasn't local either.

And we've seen the LibDems accused of hijacking a Save Our Hospital campaign because both the UKIP fella and the Respect candidate had been involved well before the by-election was called.

Labour has won the only public opinion poll to be held during the campaign - by 33 points - and also come out on top in the number of celebrity endorsements. But they're lagging behind in the leader visits.

They've had Vera from Coronation Street, vicar Ashley from Emmerdale and Neville from Auf Wiedersehn Pet, but, strangely, no Mr Blair.

The LibDems decided against inviting the likes of Dirty Den to town,

They opted, instead, for leader Charles Kennedy (four times) and charismatic MPs such as Lembit Opik and Simon Hughes.

Labour hit back with heavyweights John Prescott and Charles Clarke, as well as John Reid, David Blunkett and Margaret Beckett.

Conservative leader Michael Howard and members of his shadow cabinet, Bernard Jenkin, David Davies and Tim Yeo, popped by; as did UK Independence Party leader Roger Knapman; and Respect supporters George Galloway and Ken Loach.

But the ones who've caused the biggest stir in the town are superheroes with daft names, and a former television chatshow host called Kilroy.

Robert Kilroy-Silk, the newly-elected UKIP Euro MP, was initially being mentioned as a candidate, but has limited his involvement to a day-long visit the weekend before last.

But even the master of self-publicity has been upstaged by Fathers 4 Justice who, dressed as Batman and Robin, yesterday scaled the landmark HMS Trincomalee.

On Tuesday night, the group's campaign was in the shape of Catwoman, who disrupted the Hartlepool v Hull City match with a goal-line protest.

Hartlepool chose a man in a monkey suit when it went to the polls to find a directly-elected mayor, but not even this animal-loving town is expected to vote for a cat, a bat, or a bird.

Instead of creatures it comes down to figures, and it is looking certain to be one of the runners from the two-horse race that is Labour v LibDem, with the Conservatives battling UKIP for third place.

Mr Mandelson's 14,507 majority over the Tories from 2001 - a gap of 16,779 for the LibDems to bridge - might seem like an impossible task.

Labour has not lost a General Election in the town for 40 years, has had almost undisturbed control of the council for decades, and is confident its local candidate - at 32, the youngest in the contest - will triumph.

The LibDems are hoping for a 22.05 per cent swing - smaller than the one that swept them to by-election victories in Brent East and Leicester South - and believe there is a genuine chance of achieving it.

For the candidates, the next 24 hours will seem like an eternity in politics.

And maybe by this time tomorrow, we'll have seen another 's' we can add to the campaign dictionary - either in the shape of shock or status quo.

Here's one to be getting on with until then: 's' for stunt. Batman, also known as Jason Hatch, last seen on the balcony at Buckingham Palace, was arrested along with David Pike, dressed a Robin, for scaling the rigging of the historic warship.

When they climbed down at about 5pm they were arrested on suspicion of causing a public nuisance.

The two men were last night detained at Hartlepool Police Station for questioning. Two other protestors, arrested for causing a breach of the peace, were released without charge.