FARNWORTH Church hosted the candidates for a debate on global poverty.

Lib Dem candidate and physics professor Roger Barlow appeared the academic stereotype - eccentric but intelligent.

He said: "If the resources being put into wars were put into tackling poverty, the money would be more wisely spent."

Tory candidate Colin Bloom, a confident and clear speaker, is the head of a Christian charity.

He said: "Britain has a God given and bible-instructed responsibility to assist poor countries."

Halton's Labour MP Derek Twigg isn't a dynamic speaker but he was proud of Labour's record.

He said: "The Labour government has been leading the world on these issues."

Two sobering notes cut through the politics.

Fr Kevin Kelly of St Basil's said a report rated the parties on poverty - the Tories 2/10, Labour 4/10 and the Lib Dems 6/10.

And statistically, 1800 third-world children died during the one-and-a-half hour debate.

A quick audience survey by the World found Twigg was the winner.