WARRINGTON North's Conservative candidate is urging the town to lead the way on electric car ownership.

Richard Short welcomed figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders showing that new car registrations are at their highest since twice yearly registrations began and that registration of electric vehicles is up 131 per cent.

The Government's 'plug-in car' scheme, which provides a subsidy for the cost of cars up to £5000, has played a key role in the recent rise of owners in the fight to keep pollution levels down.

The increase of electric cars on the road was celebrated at Warrington's Ikea store when Mr Short, who has a degree in environmental sciences, joined a group of owners from across the north west to raise the profile of zero-emission vehicles.

However, despite the rise, one issue owners were keen to address was the availability of fast charging points.