SIX candidates will vie to become the Greens’ London mayoral candidate next year in the “most competitive” selection process to date, the party revealed yesterday.

In the running are London councillors Sian Berry and Caroline Russell, party spokesmen Tom Chance, Benali Hamdache and Jonathan Bartley and party activist Rashid Nix.

The Star reported last month that Ms Berry, the party’s 2008 mayoral candidate, was the front runner.

She has won high-profile endorsements from Green MP Caroline Lucas and deputy party leader Amelia Womack.

The candidates will go head to head in a series of debates before voting closes on August 30. The winner will be revealed in the first week of September.

London party co-chairwoman Caroline Allen predicted a “high-quality and close-fought contest.”