General election hustings opened at St Mary's Church in Witney tonight where candidates from five parties faced off in a Question Time-style event.

David Cameron, representing the Conservatives, Andy Graham for the Liberal Democrats and Simon Strutt for UKIP gave speeches to get the debate under way.

Key topics included housing and transport links, including potential improvements to the A40 between Witney and Oxford.

Labour candidate Duncan Enright pledged improvements to the A40 including extra lanes at key points while Mr Cameron said his party had invested in the railways and would keep investing in the road network to reduce congestion between Witney and Oxford.

Entry for the event was carefully controlled with Oxford Mail photographer Damian Halliwell ejected from the church before the hustings started.

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Some candidates including Mr Cameron overran the time limit they were given for making their introductions.

The first question from audience member David Hudson asked whether candidates supported the North Witney development earmarked for 1,000 homes in West Oxfordshire District Council's Local Plan.

Representatives from the National Health Action Party and the Wessex Regionalist Party protested outside that they had not been allowed to take part.