Three prospective west Dorset parliamentary candidates were quizzed on their party's policies as residents decide who to vote for in Thursday’s general election.

Around 70 people attended the hustings at The Hub in Lyme Regis on Sunday and put their questions to Claudia Sorin of the Labour Party, Kelvin Clayton for the Green Party and Liberal Democrat Edward Morello. The Conservative candidate, Chris Loder, was unable to attend.

Rene Wyndham chaired the panel and invited audience members to participate throughout by asking questions, replying to candidates’ responses and even fact-checking the odd statement.

The candidates offered their policies and ideas on topics ranging from global to local - the climate, Brexit, electoral alliances and tactical voting, the rising cost of housing and lack of long-term job prospects locally, cuts to community policing, drugs and youth crime, early years education and mental health provision.

Kelvin Clayton summed up by saying the International Panel on Climate Change report states there is only 10 years before runaway climate change and stressed the need for radical action, Claudia Sorin urged the need for a Labour government after nine years of austerity which have impacted on the NHS, schools, brought in Universal Credit and an increase in in-work poverty, while Edward Morello said the government should change.

Lively discussions continued for more than two hours.

The organiser Belinda Bawden thanked everyone for turning out and for those who brought donations for refreshments and raised funds for the food bank, One Planet Working Group and the Word Forest Organisation.