WARRINGTON South's Liberal Democrat candidate fears the town is at risk of becoming 'another post-industrial wasteland' because of 'decisions' over the nation's nuclear industry.

Earlier this year the Government confirmed Brexit would involve the UK leaving Euratom – the European nuclear collaboration.

Following the announcement, an all-party House of Commons select committee criticised the Government for putting the nuclear industry 'at risk'.

The energy-related sector forms a 'strategically important part' of Cheshire and Warrington's economy – it comprises around 900 companies, 19,000 jobs and £2.8 billion of sales per year.

Cllr Barr (LD – Lymm North and Thelwall) slammed the Tories.

He said: "Warrington will be unusually severely affected by these decisions because it is the national centre for the nuclear industry.

"The Conservatives now appear to treat Warrington as a safe seat and take support here for granted.

"Yet when it comes to every issue that affects the town they let Warrington down.

"Promises on tolls across the new Mersey Gateway Bridge have been broken, the unfairly low school funding for the town has not been corrected and rail investment passes the town by.

"However, failing to consider the disastrous ramifications of its Brexit objectives for the nuclear industry is the biggest threat to Warrington from this Government.

"This one step may switch Warrington from being the only high wage low welfare town in the north of England to another post-industrial wasteland."

Warrington South's Tory candidate David Mowat has hit back

He said: "The biggest risk to our nuclear industry would be electing Jeremy Corbyn as Prime Minister on June 8.

"The Conservative Party is the only party which is pro-nuclear and it was a Conservative-led Government which has led on getting the first nuclear reactor built in Britain in 30 years.

"On a more local note, as the son of a nuclear engineer, I rarely miss an opportunity to promote the nuclear industry.

"As a backbench MP I spoke repeatedly in favour of nuclear – usually in the face of opposition from the anti-nuclear Liberal Democrats."