CLIMATE change campaigners have been pushing their cause up the election agenda in West Dorset as the local candidates prepare to go head-to-head to debate the issue.

Conservative MP Oliver Letwin, Liberal Democrat candidate Sue Farrant and Labour candidate Steve Bick will be at a meeting at the Thomas Hardye School in Dorchester today organised by the Ask the Climate Question campaign.

UKIP candidate Oliver Chisholm and the Green party’s Susan Greene will also be at the event, which starts at 7.30pm at the school’s sixth form centre.

Organisers of the meeting have been out on the streets in Dorchester and Bridport, promoting the event and raising awareness about climate change as the nation prepares to go to the polls on May 6.

Thomas Hardye sixth former James Frost donned a polar bear suit and joined campaigners in Dorchester’s South Street as they set out to drum up interest.

Members of the public were asked to pen their own questions about climate change, which will be forwarded on to the candidates.

Ask the Climate Change co-ordinator Irene Statham said: “We had a lot of questions being asked about transport and why it is cheaper to travel to London by car than by train.

“A lot of people asked questions around renewable energy and what we can do to encourage the use of all the sources for clean energy that we have.”

Louise Gibbs, 20, from Dorchester, wrote a question about how the Government can encourage people to use their cars less other than by raising taxes.

She said: “I feel at the moment they are just focusing on taxing petrol to discourage people and I think improving public transport would be a better way.”

The meeting will see the five candidates quizzed in a Question Time-style debate, with members of the public submitting questions and chairman Alistair Chisholm selecting which are put to the panel.

Mrs Statham said: “In West Dorset we are very fortunate in that our candidates are informed on environmental issues and have got a real interest.

“We should get a very good in-depth discussion.”

If anyone wants to submit a question to be considered at the meeting, help with the organisation or find out more you can email irene@istatham.me.uk.

More information can also be found at www.greenpeace.org.uk/ climatequestion.

Entrance to the school on the night will be via the Thomas Hardye Leisure Centre only as the school is closed for the Easter holidays.