HUSTINGS are to take place as a constituency's parliamentary candidates go head-to-head before the general election.

All five candidates for the Barrow and Furness seat will appear at events to be held this week.

Labour co-operative John Woodcock, Conservative Simon Fell, Liberal Democrat Loraine Birchall, UKIP's Alan Piper and the Green Party's Rob O'Hara will be on hand to address topics most important to voters.

A business hustings will be held by the Furness Branch of the Federation of Small Businesses on Thursday May 25, starting at 5pm at Furness College.

While the immediate future of the Trident Successor Programme has been secured, a number of key issues face the business community over the coming years.

Phil Collier, chairman of Furness FSB, said: "With the huge levels of investment flowing into the Furness area, our branch committee felt the need to give local business owners the opportunity to ask some serious questions of the prospective parliamentary candidates or, in other words, our future MP.

"Normally, such a hustings is a once-every-five-years opportunity to quiz the politicians. This snap election gives us another chance to ask pertinent questions on key matters relating to our area.

"After all, it is important that we have the right MP for Barrow and Furness to ensure that our key issues are taken to, and are discussed at, the highest level in parliament.

"This event will be all about the business community, so I urge all small business owners to come along and have your say."

Prior to this, tomorrow will see a church hustings held at St Mary's Church Hall, Church Lane, Walney.

Organised by Churches Together in Barrow and District, the hustings will allow visitors to meet the candidates and hear their responses to questions on faith and politics.

Jim Webster, churchwarden and lay minister of St Michael's Church, Rampside, will chair the event, which will start at 7.30pm.

An opportunity to tackle parliamentary candidates in the Copeland constituency is also scheduled to take place in the coming weeks.

Candidates will gather at Beggar's Theatre, Millom, between 7pm and 9pm on Friday June 2. Conservative's Trudy Harrison, Labour's Gillian Troughton, UKIP's Herbie Crossman, and Liberal Democrat's Rebecca Hanson will contest the seat.