THE future generation of voters grilled Hereford's prospective MPs on issues including Brexit, traffic in Hereford, fracking and cuts to schools budgets.

Four of the six candidates hoping to be the next MP for Hereford and South Herefordshire – Anna Coda for Labour, Lib Dem Lucy Hurds, Diana Toynbee for the Green Party and independent Jim Kenyon – visited St Martin's Primary School in Hereford last week for the hustings debate.

They answered questions from year five and six pupils and were united against fracking in Herefordshire in favour of cleaner, greener energy as well as opposed to further cuts to the schools system.

Debating Brexit, however, Green Party candidate, Diana Toynbee, whose party supported the ‘remain’ campaign said: “You have probably seen Theresa May saying 'give me more power so I can do what I like but she's not saying what she wants to do’.

“If I get in, whoever the next government is I will be watching them really carefully and saying 'what are you doing’ and making sure there are still opportunities and that it works for the benefit of us all."

Lib Dem candidate Lucy Hurds said her party believes people should get a chance to say what they think about the options once negotiations have ended, while Labour’s Anna Coda said her party wanted to get a customs union so the UK can continue to trade with Europe.

Independent hopeful Jim Kenyon, who voted to leave the EU, said: “I will still be fighting for free movement but there is also a bigger world out there that we can negotiate with. It's exciting times ahead. Don't ever be scared of change – sometimes change can be good."

Addressing Hereford’s traffic congestion, Labour candidate Anna Coda said: "It's a difficult issue as some people will say 'just build more roads' but the traffic surveys that have been done by our council suggest that over four out of five journeys are internal, not driving from somewhere outside to somewhere the other side.

“We all need to find ways of becoming less car dependant. We all have a responsibility to walk and use public transport particularly around the city.”

Jim Kenyon highlighted the need for another bridge crossing while Lucy Hurds said another road was needed for Hereford which would take HGVs out of the city centre – also making it safer to put in cycle ways and a park and ride scheme.

Conservative candidate Jesse Norman and UKIP candidate Gwyn Price were not present.