A PAIR of council heavyweights from Worcester are delving into the political jungle to take part in an internet version of I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here!

County councillors Andy Roberts and John Buckley will be grilled by schoolchildren from across Worcestershire in a bid to tackle political apathy in the young.

They will be among five county councillors - including Coun Liz Eyre from Wychavon, Redditch's Coun Betty Passingham and Coun Tom Wells from Malvern - who will put up a 200-word manifesto on a special schools-only website and answers questions about the issues most affecting the county's young people.

One councillor will be voted off each day by the ruthless students but the participants have a more pressing goal - to beat each other.

"It's a friendly rivalry between us two but I am determined to thrash him," said Coun Roberts, who represents Claines.

"I'll be very pleased to get past the first day. If I'm asked anything about contemporary music I'll be found wanting," he admitted.

Coun Buckley upped the stakes by slapping down his opponent's fighting talk.

"I don't know about a bit of friendly rivalry, I'm out to stuff the guy and look forward to seeing him thrown out on the first day," said Coun Buckley, from the St Martin ward.

"I follow the more modern music but my problem is remembering their names so that's where they are going to catch me out, I'm sure," he added.

Once the two councillors, had removed their tongues from their cheeks, they admitted there was a more important reason to the event - being held as part of Local Democracy Week, which begins on Monday - than personal rivalries.

"We do have problems engaging young people as local government might not be the first thing on their agenda.

"Plus more and more, we need their views to shape their future," said Coun Roberts.

Read Coun Buckley's views about youths and anti-social behaviour in tomorrow's paper.