CANDIDATES clashed over public services, Brexit and the environment in the last hustings before today's election.

The four hopefuls in the running to become West Dorset's next MP squabbled at a packed St Mary's Church in Maiden Newton.

Liberal Democrat candidate Andy Canning, who last month told The News he is "the only one" who can oust Sir Oliver Letwin from his seat, highlighted the impact spending cuts by the Conservative-led Dorset County Council has had on residents.

He said: "I'm hoping that the new leader of the county council will have a better attitude to bus services than the former leader, who lost his seat because of it.

"It's just unsustainable. There are too many people who rely on bus services."

He also labelled fears by some that Dorset Clinical Commissioning Group is looking at reducing the number of GP surgeries in West Dorset as "unrealistic".

But Sir Oliver disagreed with his rival, stating the lack of GPs is causing problems for the NHS.

He said: "People are walking into A&E because they cannot get appointments in time with their GP.

"If we have smaller GP practices, actually we cannot get rotas that keep them open when people want and that's why they crowd into A&E."

Labour candidate Lee Rhodes called for an end to the government's austerity measures.

He said: "Austerity is working for some people but not everyone and it has got to stop.

"We have got to this situation where everything is run by volunteers.

"You can forget going down the pub because we will be doing everything. It's just not good enough. I cannot tell you how much it scares me."

But Sir Oliver hit out at Labour's spending plans.

He said: "In the end it's a snare and a delusion to do it on the scale they are suggesting.

"We would go back to a situation where they are cap and hand to the Inland Revenue. I actually believe in voluntary effort and I think it's great to see that being done."

Green Party candidate Kelvin Clayton played a leading role in saving Bridport Youth Centre from closure after the county council withdrew funding.

He said: "Why am I fundraising for services that should be provided by the government? "We need to do something about it and we need to do something about it soon."

Mr Clayton also criticised the other parties for not "thinking long-term" about the impacts of climate change.

Mr Canning raised fears that environmental laws would be given less importance once the UK leave's the European Union.

He said: "A lot of the same voices that were calling for Brexit are climate change deniers.

"We can be sure that when we need to make the next step in dealing with climate change, none of the political powers will have a want to do so."

Mr Rhodes, who said Brexit "unified the Conservative party and divided the nation", criticised Theresa May's strength as a negotiator.

Sir Oliver told the audience about his clashes with Mrs May while in David cameron's Cabinet together.

He said: "I lost almost every time because she has the capacity that's required and she's capable of realising when she has got something wrong and changing and she sticks like glue.

"She doesn't care whether the person on the other side of the table likes her or not."