ON a night when the general election campaign across St Helens finally sparked into life, it was the subject of education that saw battle lines drawn between candidates.

The election hustings hosted by the organisation Shine at St Helens Parish Church saw candidates from Labour, Conservative, Greens, Liberal Democrats and UKIP field a range of questions from an audience of around 100 people.

They dealt with the issues including trust in politicians, assisted dying and the NHS. However, it was when a question was put to the panellists about what they would do to address the number of failing schools in the town it drew an emotional reaction from not just the candidates but also the audience.

Elizabeth Ward from the Green Party pounced on comments made by Labour's Marie Rimmer who said schools in St Helens have been "coasting" for some time because a large amount of power has been placed in the hands of governors and taken away from the council.

A former pupil at De La Salle, Ms Ward directing her comments to former council leader Rimmer, saying: "I find it offensive that you are blaming governors and hard working parents."

With secondary education in St Helens ranked 148 out of 150 in the country by Ofsted last year, she said: "Stop schools being exam factories and make them better learning environments."

Former mayor John Beirne standing for UKIP said that the best way to address the issue of failing schools was to change the council and sack the councillor who is "portfolio holder" for schools.

Another former council leader Brian Spencer from the Lib Dems also criticised Rimmer saying he didn't believe the current state of secondary schools was "all down to the governors".

The exchange between the panellists was interrupted by an audience member and mother-of-four who focussed her frustrations at Rimmer and Spencer: "As two former leaders of the council you have sent the education system down the swanny.

"As a teacher and governor I know it takes a long time to go from outstanding to failing and you are failing the children of St Helens.

"I have voted Labour all my life and now I'm thinking I don't know who to vote for."