Watford’s mayoral candidates squared up at a hustings debate on Tuesday night where heated discussions boiled over on key issues within the borough.

Focal points of the event, at St Thomas’ United Reformed Church, in Langley Road, included the expansion of the West Herts College campus and the current Mayor’s salary.

On the panel, chaired by Reverend Neville Dyckhoff, were incumbent Dorothy Thornhill (Liberal Democrat), Nigel Bell (Labour), Stephen Johnson (Conservative) and Alex MacGregor Mason (Green).

The Mayor’s salary proved to be one of the evening’s biggest controversies.

Mr Bell attacked Mayor Thornhill over her £64,000-a-year salary and her political assistant’s £32,000 annual wage, saying “there is no way it is justified”.

Both Mr Bell and Mr Johnson claimed they would take a significant pay cut if they were elected.

But Mayor Thornhill said if it was a genuine issue, they could have done something sooner, pointing to the annual remuneration panel where parties voiced their agreement with the salary.

Other main talking points included general traffic issues around Watford, and the panel’s views on possible congestion at the college campus, in Hempstead Road.

Mr Johnson said it was a “difficult subject” and “we need to ask more questions about whether the town can support this development”.

Mrs Thornhill passionately defended the development of the campus.

She said: “Do we want this first class educational facility in our town? It is in a very, very sensible place – the most sustainable place in the town.”

Mr Bell called for more consultation with motorists around Watford while Mr MacGregor Mason pointed to the fact the borough council does not control the roads as the main issue.

When the topic shifted to the environment, the candidates were united in agreement that Mayor Thornhill had done a “very good job” with recycling facilities in the borough.

However, Mayor Thornhill was again criticised for failing to take up a government ‘free swimming’ initiative, something she claimed was an “unjustified expense after much consultation with residents”.

All four candidates were asked what they could do for young people in the town.

Mr Bell said much more could be done and that he would encourage more volunteer organisations in the town.

Mayor Thornhill however defended the current volunteer sector. She said: “It is an insult to say they should be doing more, these people would be offended to hear that from an elected representative.”

Mr Johnson said he sat somewhere between the previous two opinions, while Mr MacGregor Mason said engagement was the main issue.

He said: “It is not important that they vote for me, just that they vote.”