A FAMILY man who has fought to keep a border secondary school open is standing in the General Election, with the aim of helping the local farming community through Brexit.

Local businessman James Gibson-Watt, who lives just outside Hay-on-Wye with his wife and family, has been selected to represent the Liberal Democrats for the Brecon and Radnorshire seat on June 8.

The seat has been a stronghold for the Lib Dems in recent years holding it from 1997 until the last election in 2015.

Cllr Gibson-Watt who is county councillor for the Glasbury ward and leader of the Liberal Democrat group on Powys County Council believes that he can win the seat back for his party.

He said: “Local people I speak to are very concerned about the impact a Tory hard Brexit will have on constituencies like Brecon and Radnorshire. The Welsh Liberal Democrats and I are committed to protecting our place in the single market and standing up for local people.

"I believe a hard Brexit will impact on our rural community and general economy. Wales export a huge amount of produce to the continent and there is a very big export market that is now at risk by creating barriers to that trade."

His uncle David Gibson-Watt, was Conservative MP for Hereford between 1956 and 1974.

Cllr Gibson-Watt who hopes to follow in his footsteps has been involved in a range of community issues including the campaign to save Gwernyfed High School from closure last year.

He was also the co-author of a report urging Powys County Council to buy land adjacent to the Three Cocks school in 2005. This resulted in a £371,000 Big Lottery Fund to develop sports pitches.

He added: "I had a feeling the new set of officers on the council and cabinet members didn't know about the lottery funding.

"That was the case and that changed the climate of the debate as the Big Lottery has an interest in the site for 85 years from 2005. It was an effort from the whole community to save the school and their feeling was decisive."

Chris Davies will be looking to retain the Conservatives seat which he won in 2015, gaining 5,102 more votes than his Liberal Democrat opponent on that occasion.

Labour has selected Dan Lodge as its candidate while Kate Heneghan is the Plaid Cymru candidate.