WORCESTER'S General Election candidates took part in another testing hustings - with young people grilling them on foodbanks, youth services, wages and foreign aid.

Six of the city's parliamentary hopefuls went to the YMCA in Henwick Road, St John's, including the first hustings appearance from independent Mark Shuker.

During the debate:

- Green Party candidate Louis Stephen said his party would spend £1.1 billion on new youth services around the UK and offer "free childcare" if they got in

- Labour's candidate Councillor Joy Squires again reiterated her desire for Worcester to become a 'Living Wage city', insisting it is possible if enough people believe in it

- Conservative Robin Walker said growing the economy was the best way to help people at the bottom of the food chain, while UKIP's James Goad insisted his party would slash foreign aid, saying "charity begins at home"

Councillor Squires said: "The Living Wage is something close to my heart, Worcester already has 60 per cent of employers that pay it already - maybe we should shout about that more often, and say it more loudly so the rest do the same.

"We need to get those organisations together that do pay the Living Wage (£7.85 an hour) to campaign and look at how we can do it everywhere.

"I do think it needs political will - you might think it's idealistic, but I think if we get people talking, it could happen."

Mr Walker said: "I want to see the minimum wage (legally set at £6.50) continue to go up, the best way to help is by having a strong economy where businesses feel they can take people on."

During the debate, as it moved onto the NHS Mr Goad said a UKIP Government would "put £3 billion a year" extra into the health service by making radical cuts elsewhere including less foreign aid, slashing the bill for Westminster and scrapping three Government departments - energy and climate change, culture, media and sport and international development.

"There are a lot of things you could do to cut costs and invest that into the NHS," he said.

Mr Stephen said rocketing childcare costs had hampered the economy, insisting it should be free, and pointed to the decline in youth centres, highlighting a Green pledge to spend £1.1 billion turning it around.

Peter McNally, from the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC) said public sector pay rises had stagnated since 2010, while Mr Shuker said railways should be re-nationalised.