AS national election fever intensifies a Keighley district school is making the most of the opportunity to introduce its own senior pupils to the workings of democracy.

South Craven School launched its own mock General Election for its sixth form students earlier this month, with some help from a pair of actual candidates currently standing in Skipton and Ripon Constituency.

A spokesman for the school explained: "We had an assembly where our student candidates had an opportunity to speak to 400 students to promote their views and policies.

"Two of the candidates were assisted by the 'real' General Election candidates, for the Green Party – Andy Brown, and for the Labour Party – Alan Woodhead."

The confirmed South Craven student candidates for the main parties taking part in the contest are: Owen Goodall (Conservative), Jake Halls (Liberal Democrat), Christopher Sutcliffe (Green), Cameron Webster (UKIP) and Emily Wicks (Labour).

The school's spokesman added: "The mock election campaign has now begun in earnest. The students have begun their hustings by going around the school to drum up support for their respective parties."