POLITICAL candidates will face off in a hustings event in Dorchester.

Churches Together has traditionally organised the main hustings opportunity for election hopefuls in the county town and is holding a hustings at the United Church in South Street on Thursday, April 23 from 7.30pm.

All the West Dorset candidates will be at the event and it promises to be an opportunity for local people to come and find out more about those who are hoping to represent them in Parliament.

Superintendent minister of the Bridport and Dorchester circuit Steph Jenner will be chairing the meeting.

She said: "I'm quite happy to chair it, it will be a challenge but hopefully it will be good.

"I'm used to chairing meetings."

Chairman of Churches Together in Dorchester Margaret Barker said urged people to go along to find out more about their local candidates and said she hoped the event would encourage more people to vote.

She said: "One of the things we always hope to achieve is to encourage people to vote.

"It's awfully easy to think it hasn't got anything to with you and your vote doesn't influence anything."

Mrs Barker said hearing from local politicians would help people engage more and see that their vote does matter as it affects a whole range of issues.

The Rev Jenner added: "If you come and meet the people personally you have got more contact and it doesn't seem quite so remote."

She said that the aim of the event was to get all the local candidates speaking positively about what their party can offer, rather than talking negatively about the other parties.

The Rev Jenner said: "What we are hoping at the hustings is to emphasise to each candidate to focus positively on their message and their party rather and negatively on others.

"I will try to keep a tight line on that."

Mrs Barker said that the event was also aimed not just for people from Dorchester itself.

She said: "We hope people will come in from villages and not think it just relates to the town."

The event follows a hustings event at the Thomas Hardye School focusing on environmental issues tonight and organisers of the United Church event say that they hope people can come to both events as next Thursday's will cover a wider spectrum of topics.

Local residents are urged to send in questions in a bid to cover as many topics as possible.

Questions can be sent in to ctindorchesterarea@gmail.com If time allows there may also be an opportunity for the audience to ask questions from the floor, depending on how many questions are sent in.