THE Deputy Leader of the Green Party in England and Wales visited the Bradford district to join local campaigners in the hope of making gains in the upcoming local elections.

Zack Polanski, who is a member of the London Assembly, stopped in Bradford as part of a small tour of Yorkshire yesterday (Tuesday).

He joined local campaigners in Ilkley, where the Greens finished less than 100 votes off the Conservative candidate in last year's elections.

He later travelled to Heaton, another closely contested ward in which the Greens finished just behind Labour in the last elections.

Mr Polanski said: “It has been great to visit Bradford district today to see the amazing work local campaigners are doing right across the district.

“Last year, the Greens doubled the number of councillors in Bradford district from three to six and this year the party is hoping for more big gains here.”

Councillor Matt Edwards (Tong ward), leader of the Green Party group on Bradford Council, said: “We are the opposition to the big two parties here in Bradford.

“We have councillors right across the district from Craven in the very North to Tong in the South and this year we are hoping to elect even more.”