STUDENTS from Tavistock College questioned local councillors at a political speed dating event at the school last Wednesday (October 16).

For the ninth year running, councillors from the parish, town and borough councils sat down with students to discuss their thoughts and concerns on local issues.

Students were allowed seven-minutes to talk to a councillor until they heard a whistle to instruct them to move on to the next councillor at another table.

Devon county councillor for Tavistock and Gulworthy, and founder of the event, Debo Sellis said that political speed dating was instigated a decade ago when Tavistock College spent a short time in ‘special measures’

‘One of the areas of concern from Ofsted was that the college lacked “community cohesion”,’ she said.

‘I wondered how, as the county councillor, I might help.

‘I came up with the idea of political speed dating hoping that as many councillors could meet the students, listen to their questions about local issues and try to answer them.

‘Thank you to the councillors who volunteered to work with Tavistock College and myself in our quest to introduce students to local politics.

‘Now in our ninth year this event has been noticed nationally.’