CANDIDATES were given a final chance to persuade voters to back them at a heated election hustings.

With just four days to go until polling day, an audience of around 200 filled Holy Trinity Church, in Rayleigh, for the Rayleigh and Wickford hustings.

Questions ranging from the state of south Essex healthcare, education, nuclear disarmament and Brexit prompted frequent outbursts from audience members.

Tory candidate Mark Francois, who is looking to defend his seat, insisted his party would provide “strong and stable politics.”

However he was heckled over claims schools in the area will lose an average of £477 per pupil amid further claims that FitzWimarc secondary school, in Rayleigh could “lose up to 16 teachers”.

Mr Francois responded by claiming no school will lose money “in cash terms” and that he has met with each school in the constituency.

Audience members probed about the success regime - which could downgrade two of the region’s A&E departments and turn the remaining one into a specialist emergency centre delivering a 24-hour blue light service to the most critically ill patients.

Mr Francois responded by insisting that he is to have discussions with the East of England Ambulance Service.

Labour candidate Mark Daniels, a train driver, called for an “alternative” and while praising Mr Francois’s track record as MP, insisted that residents “deserved better and it was time to move on.”

Mr Daniels also hit out at the Tories’ social care policy.

Liberal Democrat Ron Tindall, praised the “boisterous audience” but called for greater accountability from the main party leaders and expressed fears that Brexit “could mean the end of cheap flights” under a new open skies agreement - a claim denied by Mr Francois.

Green Party candidate Paul Hill, in his first election hustings, insisted that “politics doesn’t end when you put a cross on the ballot paper.”

He said: “I want to stand up for what matters and push the green message, stand up for housing, a free education, equality and new politics.”

Ukip’s Peter Hill was unable to attend the hustings, with his apologies being announced at the start of the meeting.