THE Green Party is going from strength to strength in Wyre Forest after a district branch of the group was set up and a Wolverley resident announced her intention to stand at a Midlands by-election for the party.

The inaugural meeting of the Wyre Forest Green Party will be held in Wolverley tonight when it is hoped concerned residents will pledge to campaign on global, national and local issues.

The evening is to be hosted by village resident, Kate Spohrer, who will contest the Parliamentary seat of Staffordshire South on Thursday, June 23.

The vote was postponed from the May 5 General Election after the death of Liberal Democrat candidate, Jo Harrison.

Ms Spohrer, 42, said she hoped to "blow the stereotypes up" about the party, which notched its best showing at last month's Worcestershire County Council elections.

She added: "We have been able to show there is an interest in the area and so we decided to launch a Wyre Forest Green Party.

"From my point of view, it is clear that there are people out there who want to vote Green but they have not had the opportunity to do so."

Advances in technology meant people could now do their bit to help the environment, she said.

The Wolverley resident told the Shuttle/Times & News: "I am not in favour of us going back to the Stone Age. It is about using modern technology in an efficient way so we can leave a smaller footprint on the earth."

Ms Spohrer said she used an electric bicycle and had solar panels fitted to her home to heat water.

She explained: "It is not about being extreme. It is about being sensible and thinking about what we are doing to the planet. We want to leave a place for our kids that isn't going to self-destruct."

The meeting will be held at Hobro House in Wolverley at 7.30pm. For more information contact Sharon Cartwright on 01562 68557.