THE Labour candidate for Warrington South has welcomed the party's pledge to cut tuition fees from £9,000 to £6,000 per year from September 2016.

Nick Bent believes leader Ed Miliband's plan will 'reverse' the drop in young people from the town going to university.

In 2011, the final year before tuition fees were trebled, 1,448 Warrington students applied to university, but in 2013, the figure fell to 1,267 – a drop of over 12%.

Mr Bent feels the drop is largely because many families in Warrington have an income just above the threshold where financial help is available.

“This pledge from Labour will help more young people from middle income families to go to university and is a big boost to fairness and aspiration for Warrington," he said.

The candidate has again been critical of the Government for trebling tuition fees but remains adamant the future is bright for those aspiring to go to university to complete further studies.

"This will be popular with students and their parents and grandparents as well," he added.

Grants for students from low-income households are also planned to be increased in a bid to tackle the problem.