In case anybody in Bristol or South Gloucestershire needs to know, here is a detailed guide on safely leaking sensitive information to the press 👇 Tips can be sent in strict confidence to alex.seabrook@reachplc.com (or you can DM me for Signal details) https://t.co/RETxK1U54c

Three years ago Christine Townsend criticised council staff spying on parents of kids with special needs & called for an inquiry. Now she's in charge, she's resisting calls for an inquiry. Full story from @AlexGSeabrook here https://t.co/QRlvvh8FuM

I asked if @Arron_banks was invited to the hustings... The organisers said: "He was invited. I'm not on twitter, but I invited him through the Reform Bristol contact who had previously told me he would forward the invitation to the candidate, before the candidate was announced."

That's it from me tonight! Keep an eye out for the full article about the hustings tomorrow morning

More consensus for criticism of delays on mass transit and trams. "We lost a year to two mayors bickering" says Tory candidate Steve Smith. Lib Dem Oli Henman highlights that his party is in power in BaNES, South Glos, and also working together with the Greens in Bristol

Consensus for more support on walking and cycling, particularly the "disaster" cycle lane along the Centre near the Hippodrome, which is very hard to actually see as it's the same colour as the pavement. Just a different shade of grey!

The reason for the delay was a few hecklers who received a stern talking to but have not been kicked out. Quiet so far though in the second half. Now talking about walking and cycling

Starting the second half now with a reminder from the chair Martin Booth not to heckle the candidates and to show respect for different views

It's a tough job sometimes

Stopping for a quick half time pint stop

Interesting proposal from Green candidate Mary Page: giving one free day a week for public transport, 52 weeks a year, to change habits and cut congestion

Big questions on how to improve trains or reduce car dependency, but only 30 seconds given for each candidate to answer, feels like a lot to squeeze in. A lot of support for finishing the Henbury loop railway line however. Not a lot of detail on delivering new stations quicker

The mood is a little tense in the room. All the candidates have been polite so far, but have faced some heckling from anti liveable neighbourhood campaigners. It's also rather hot in this room and everybody is bunched up close together

All candidates come out in favour of bus franchising, apart from independent Ian Scott, who warns the plan would need a lot of money

Next Q on liveable neighbourhoods. Lib Dem candidate only one to explicitly back the east Bristol scheme. Tory against. Green and Lab both say more engagement with community is needed

The first question is how the candidates got here... Labour and Green candidates drove here, the Tory got the bus and the Lib Dem got the train

Starting off with intros, Helen Godwin calls for a mass transit network, while Steve Smith was the only candidate explicitly backing bus franchising

The chair Martin Booth says "we may well have a late-coming candidate", with a chair still available for Arron Banks if he does turn up

Most of the candidates have arrived... from left to right they are Ian Scott (ind), Oli Henman (Lib Dem), Mary Page (Green), Steve Smith (Tory), and Helen Godwin (Labour)

About 30 protesters gathered outside the venue to protest against Reform's candidate Arron Banks

You join me live from the Watershed where an election hustings is about to begin. Candidates to be the next regional mayor will clash on how to solve the West of England's transport woes