MORE than 60 people attended a public meeting in Lydford last week to hear UKIP?s prospective parliamentary candidate for West Devon and Torridge, Matthew Jackson, speak.

Mr Jackson told those gathered at the village hall that critics of the UK Independence Party had the wrong idea when they claimed it was a negative party.

He said: ?The vision we have for this country is wholly positive. What we want to see is a Britain which is strong, independent and free ? a country able to hold its head high and to pursue its own interests in a peaceful world, free of the strightjacket the EU imposes.?

Mr Jackson said re-directing money away from Brussels would enable the country to help pensioners, the needy and the underprivileged, give better support to schools, hospitals and the armed forces and redevelop industry in Britain.

Mr Jackson will be holding a further 16 public meetings in the constituency in the New Year.