ONE of the Labour Party’s big hitters visited Worcester to drum up support for next month’s local elections.

Shadow environment secretary Mary Creagh, who is the MP for Wakefield, came to the city to launch the party’s manifesto.

Although political campaigning for the day was suspended following the death of Baroness Thatcher, she got to meet city politicians and hear about the reaction councillors were getting on the doorsteps.

A main pledge in the manifesto is to restore spending cuts made to bus services in Worcestershire.

Councillor Alan Amos, who represents Warndon and Gorse Hill, said: “The Tories have decimated the bus service by cutting the subsidy from £4 million to £1.5 million, a 60 per cent cut, which is enormous.”

The ruling Conservative party at County Hall says it has protected core services from the cuts.