THE Green Party's general election candidates for the borough's constituencies are using crowdfunding to help with their campaigns.

A Just Giving page was set up last month to help the campaigns of the Greens' St Helens North candidate Rachel Parkinson and Jess Northey who is standing in St Helens South and Whiston.

The page has a £4,000 target ahead of the June 8 election, with more than £1,100 having been raised so far by more than 20 supporters.

One the decision to use crowdfunder, Rachel and Jess said: “Unlike the other parties, we refuse donations from property developers, tax dodgers and media moguls.

"We will not hold court with oil barons, airlines and construction firms. This means we rely on people like you to help fund our campaign.”

On the announcement of their candidacies, the duo pledged to make the preservation of threatened green belt land as a top priority for the campaign.

The page says this is their "main focus" because of the "devastating destruction of the country side proposed by the Labour council here".

See crowdfunder.co.uk/jess-and-rachels-election-campaign-2017 for Rachel and Jessica's fundraising page.