ELECTION candidates were put under the spotlight during a crunch meeting at the venue that could decide one of the country's tightest seats.

During the 2001 General Election campaign, Labour candidate for Selby John Grogan was pelted with eggs and flour by a Tory supporter at the University of York.

Last night's hustings event at the campus in Heslington, which is part of the Selby constituency was policed by security guards after that scare. It passed without any high-profile protest, but candidates were grilled for two hours on key issues including Iraq, university tuition fees and immigration.

Candidates agree the campus vote could decide the tight Selby seat.

Mr Grogan is defending a narrow majority of just over 2,000 - and with 3,000 students registered to vote, last night's hustings were seen as the key meeting in the campaign.

An audience of around 70 heard Mr Grogan underscore his opposition to the war in Iraq and tuition fees.

Amid fresh controversy over the Government's legal advice ahead of the conflict, he told students his "gut instinct" had been to oppose invasion without United Nations support.

He said: "We have to have an international body making these decisions. That's why I voted no. I'm glad I did."

Liberal Democrat candidate, Ian Cuthbertson, said his party would scrap all fees. "Education is a right not a privilege," he told students. "It's based on ability, not on the ability to pay."

Tory candidate, Mark Menzies, outlined plans for new graduate loans and urged students to send a message to "presidential" Tony Blair.

"If there's a change in the Selby constituency, Mr Blair will take note."

Meanwhile, another hustings event last night at Fishergate Primary School, York, saw the city's election candidates hear the case for new laws to protect community services.

The meeting, organised by pressure group Local Works, was held in the wake of a spate of post office branch closures in York. Local Works member Denise Craghill said about 70 people attended. She added: "We were pleased all the candidates said they supported the campaign's principles. But we have to keep the pressure up after the election."

Updated: 11:02 Friday, April 29, 2005