A WORCESTER pub landlord is doing it again - with a series of election hustings being staged in the run-up to polling day.

The Cap 'n' Gown in Upper Tything has gained a national reputation as one of Britain's leading pubs for political debate, having lit up the 2015 General Election and last year's EU referendum.

Now landlord Ted Marshall has arranged for five hustings nights to be staged at the venue ahead of Worcestershire County Council's big poll.

The five key Worcester seats of Claines, Riverside, Rainbow Hill, Bedwardine and St Peter's will each get a dedicated night, with candidates invited to tell people why they should be elected.

Pub-goers will then be able to question each of them, with the county council responsible for Worcestershire's major public services like roads maintenance, adult and children's social care, education, the environment and transport.

Mr Marshall said: "It'll be a tremendous set of hustings and will give people the chance to find out more about the people standing for elections.

"There will be speeches by the candidates and then questions from the floor, and we've focused on the really key Worcester seats.

"There aren't any other hustings taking place in the city so these are really important in allowing people to question the candidates together."

Worcester News:

The first hustings will take place next Monday, April 17 where Rainbow Hill will be up for debate.

The Riverside division, a seat currently held by the county council's leader Councillor Simon Geraghty, will be discussed on Wednesday, April 19.

On Tuesday, April 25 St Peter's will be debated, followed by Bedwardine on Wednesday, April 26.

It will finish on Thursday, April 27 with the division of Claines - a key battleground between the Liberal Democrats and Conservatives.

All of the hustings events will start from 8pm, and are expected to last around two hours.

Back in 2015 the pub hosted 10 weeks of successive hustings debates for the 2015 General Election, making it unique across the country.

Last year it also staged several weeks of hustings in the run-up to the EU referendum in June, with the boozer regularly packed out.

The county council elections are taking place on Thursday, May 4, with all 57 seats up for grabs for the first time since 2013.

The Conservative leadership is holding an overall majority of seven seats.