DARLINGTON'S election candidates were handed a paper ahead of a large hustings event in the town next month.

Green Party candidate Matthew Snedker, Labour's Jenny Chapman and Andy Keir, who attended on behalf of Conservative candidate Peter Gibson, were given a paper called For the Common Good: Uniting a Divided Nation.

The paper was given to them by Maranny Jones, chair of Darlington Churches Together, at the Market Cross yesterday.

She said: "They are asked to consider it and attach comments to it and it should be returned two weeks later. We then put their responses on our website."

The hustings is held at 7pm on December 2 and will be chaired by the Archdeacon of Auckland, the Venerable Rick Simpson, assisted by Reverend Dr John Elliston.

The hustings event is the biggest one in the town and Ms Chapman said: "It is very much part of the tradition in Darlington heading towards an election and is a cornerstone of the election campaign. There is always a big crowd at the hustings."

Mr Snedker added: "It is important to see the candidates' answers. Some of them prepare their answers, others reply from the heart."

Other candidates standing in the Darlington constituency in next month's election are Monty Brack, who is standing as an independent, Dave Mawson, for the Brexit Party, and Liberal Democrat candidate Anne-Marie Curry.