People in Marlborough showed their green credentials when they quizzed four of the General Election candidates.

The Marlborough Brandt Group and the town’s Climate Pledge Group joined forces for the event, hosted by Radio 4 journalist and presenter Edward Stourton.

The 500-seater auditorium at the new St John’s School building was almost filled for the meeting, at which Devizes the candidates, Claire Perry (Conservative), Mark Fletcher (Green), Junab Ali (Labour) and Fiona Hornby (Liberal Democrat) answered questions restricted to climate change and international aid.

Ms Perry said her party believed policies on recognising problems of climate change were very important.

Mr Ali, from Wootton Bassett, said he was born in Bangladesh, one of the poorest countries in the world and with one of the highest population densities. He said: “Bangladesh uses the least electricity per capita of the population in the world but it would be the first to suffer from climate change.”

Mr Fletcher, a BBC wildlife film producer who lives in Bromham, said: “The films I make are not about climate change, they are about animals, but you cannot avoid the impact that climate change is having on them.”

Miss Hornby said: “It is all very well talking about living in a low-carbon world, but you have to be realistic about what living in such a world is all about and be prepared to make sacrifices.”

Although most questions were around climate change and its repercussions, Brandt Group members made some pertinent points on aid and development.

Gordon Hunt, from the floor, said: “Policies being used for development aid are outdated and very wasteful. A better answer comes from trade not aid.”

Fiona Hornby agreed but said: “You have to be careful trade doesn’t mean unscrupulous practices.”

Mr Fletcher said he didn’t believe it had to be one or the other. He said: “Why can’t you have both? The problem of capitalism as the engine of growth is that you have to have someone steering the engine.”

Eco supporters did not have it all their own way. More than one questioner suggested climate change might not exist, or at least not be man made.

Ms Perry laid her cards on the table. She said: “I am of the 27 per cent of people who believe climate change is happening and is man made.

“It is imperative for the sovereignty of the country that there is appropriate technology to clean out carbon dioxide.

“Even if you don’t believe humans are causing climate change, you have to recognise there is an enormous and growing economy in green technology. We need energy security and there are massive business opportunities staring us in the face.”