WORCESTER'S Conservative parliamentary candidate has accused Nicola Sturgeon of trying to hold England to "ransom" - with the Scottish Nationalist Party causing a stir at a city hustings.

During a debate between the city's hopefuls at the University of Worcester:

- Tory Robin Walker said Worcestershire's prospects would be under threat if the SNP got into some form of deal with a new Government

- UKIP's James Goad said the SNP's influence on this country is "a malign one" in these elections

- Labour's Joy Squires said she found it "unpalatable" that Mrs Sturgeon has been described as "dangerous", a description first raised by the Daily Mail

- Pete McNally, from the Trade Unionists and Socialist Coalition (TUSC), said the rise of the SNP was due to austerity

The debate took place in front of around 60 students, with the candidates making direct pitches for votes.

One member of the audience asked for their views on Mrs Sturgeon, asking if it was right to describe her as "the most dangerous person in Britain" when Home Secretary Theresa May wants to pull out of the European Convention on Human Rights.

Mr Walker said: "I do think the SNP are a threat to our country, I have fought very hard for more funding for our schools and health service in Worcestershire.

"If the SNP held the whip after the election it would be standing there asking for more money at the expense of England, I would not like one part of the UK holding the rest to ransom for its narrow political interests.

"I'm not going to make this personal but I do think an SNP vote is anti-political."

Mr Goad said: "Nicola Sturgeon is a nationalist and I'm fundamentally a unionist, it's the UK Independence Party.

"UKIP would want to repeal it anyway (the European convention) and establish a British Bill of Rights.

"I definitely think Nicola Sturgeon is the greatest threat to our democracy and her influence on the elections will be a malign one."

Cllr Squires said she found it "unpalatable" that English people described Mrs Sturgeon as dangerous, and on human rights, said her concern was that a British version could be changed by whichever parliamentary majority comes along.

Mr McNally said: "It's not particularly helpful to describe anyone as the most dangerous woman in Britain.

"The reason why the nationalists are in up in Scotland is because they are fed up with the cuts by this Government."

Independent candidate Mark Shuker said he was "scared" by Mrs Sturgeon while Lib Dem Bart Ricketts, who is standing for parliament in Bromsgrove, told the students he was concerned too.

Mr Ricketts, filling in for Worcester candidate Federica Smith, said: "Scotland can't break away from the UK, we've had that vote now.

"But after the election they could hold the key to Government in any party they try and work with."

LABOUR'S CANDIDATE SLAMS CUTS TO LEGAL AID

WORCESTER'S Labour parliamentary candidate has revealed her dismay over legal aid cuts - saying the most vulnerable people have taken a hit.

Councillor Joy Squires said her party would reinstate people's ability to get legal aid for adoption and fostering if it formed the next Government.

During the hustings debate at the University of Worcester, Green Party candidate Louis Stephen shared her concern, calling it "terrible".

Cllr Squires said: "The Labour Party is concerned about the cuts to legal aid and the consequences it has had, one of them is the family courts and the impact on people having to go through adoption and fostering."

She said her party would "reinstate" people's help for those areas and review the entire legal aid system if came into power.

In 2013 the Coalition's changes, aimed at saving taxpayers £350 million a year, meant some types of cases were no longer eligible for public funds including divorce, child contact, welfare benefits, employment, clinical negligence and housing law except in very limited circumstances.

Mr Stephen said: "Legal aid is absolutely vital in a free society, it's terrible that these cuts have been made and they need to be reversed."

Conservative Robin Walker said: "I do understand the concerns, but we do have a challenge in this country in that we have one of the most expensive legal aid systems in the world.

"We don't want to end up like the American system. But I've had constituents come and see me over legal aid issues, I've always supported them and will continue to do so."