Candidates for the Epsom and Ewell parliamentary seat took part in a hustings to debate green issues.

Conservative Chris Grayling, Liberal Democrat Jonathan Lees and Labour Craig Montgomery took part in the hustings organised by the Epsom and Ewell Energy Group (EEEG), alongside Elizabeth Wallace, from UKIP and Peter Ticher, from Radical Reform.

The debate, moderated by EEEG’s chairman Tim Chilton, took place at the Epsom Methodist Church Hall on Friday (April 16) where all candidates were asked questions about recycling, nuclear power plants, air travel and other local and national issues.

One of the hottest topics was the possible increase in the use of biofuels in the UK.

All candidates raised concerns during the debate over the use of land for crops to produce biofuel only, mentioning possible shortages of food and the destruction of the rainforest.

Both Mr Montgomery and Mr Grayling defended the use of biofuels, but with reservations.

Mr Grayling said: “We will need to use biofuels. The only danger is moving too quickly down this road because we don’t want to end up destroying the rainforest.”

Mr Ticher said European Union directives may mean the UK will be forced into buying biofuels from abroad.

Nuclear power stations were defended by Mr Montgomery, who said the Labour Government was committed to building a new generation of power stations in the next 20 years.

Mr Lees opposed the use of nuclear power plants. He said “We will not waste taxpayer subsidies on nuclear power nor allow any dirty coal power stations to be built.

“We know Britain will desperately need new sources of energy and recognise that something needs to be done.”

UKIP candidate, Mrs Wallace, criticised EU regulations which, according to her interfere with the UK’s ability to grow.

She said: “We can grow, we can be green. We’ve cleared up the smoke, we’ve cleared up the Thames and we did it on our own.”

When questioned whether the Government would insist on building a third runway in Heathrow, even after it lost a legal dispute, Mr Montgomery said all possibilities were open.

He said: “It is a fact that we need more airport capacity in the south-east.”

But he was booed and heckled when tried to use flight times from Glasgow to Heathrow as an example on how the queues at Heathrow could be diminished, by crowd members who shouted “take the train instead”.