A WIDNES student has rocked Halton's political scene by achieving the highest percentage of votes out of every UK candidate who stood for the legalisation of cannabis in this year's local elections.

Emma O'Neil, 24, a multimedia student of Peelhouse Lane, achieved the most surprising result in June after scooping 151 votes in her challenge for the Appleton ward seat.

The Legalise Cannabis Alliance (LCA) has admitted its 'surprise' at Emma's achievement, claiming it never expected a 'single issue' candidate to scoop such a significant proportion of local votes.

Although beaten by Labour candidate Maurice Craig, with 1,633 votes, Emma gained almost half the vote of mainstream Tory candidate Denis Thomas who gained 366.

Now the group is calling for Emma to stand on its behalf in the next General Election, for which it fielded 13 candidates this time round.

The LCA became an offical political party in 1999 and maintains that the Government has vastly underestimated the number of regular cannabis users across the UK.

While the Government claims a figure of 1.5 million users, LCA leader Alan Buffry told the Weekly News the true figure is more than six million, with a 'significant' proportion of the population having tried the drug at least once before.

Emma argues the cannabis issue has major implications for human rights, law and order, health, education and the environment as well as agriculture, employment and trade ­ but says the issue has been virtually ignored by the main parties.

But in recent weeks the cannabis decriminalisation debate has gained added momentum with the admission by Conservative Peter Lilly of his belief the laws on the Class B drug should be be relaxed and the substance sold in licensed premises.

And pro-cannabis campaigners have welcomed a recent experimental scheme by police in Brixton, London, with backing from Home Secretary David Blunkett, which involves officers merely confiscating small amounts of the drugs for personal use, with no further official action being taken.

Many are now calling for the initiative to be introduced nationwide, claiming the link between cannabis and the criminal underworld would be eliminated and police resources freed up to tackle the more pressing issues of hard drug abuse.

Emma cites a string of potential medicinal uses for the drug and claims smoking the substance should be down to a matter of personal freedom.

Alan Buffry, leader of the Legalise Cannabis Alliance, said: 'Our percentages went from about 1.2% to 2.5% of the vote in the relevant wards but Emma achieved something like 7.5% of the votes in her ward.

'We are looking forward to Emma standing for the LCA in future, if the law has not been changed by then.'