FALMOUTH Arts Centre played host to Radio 4's panel show Question Time on Friday.

Around 150 people turned up to watch BBC veteran Jonathan Dimbleby chair a panel of four experts from different walks of life.

People from the town had their chance to quiz the panel on the issues of the day in a live evening broadcast, which was repeated on Saturday afternoon.

Helen Wheeler, from Arwenack Avenue in Falmouth, asked whether Cherie Blair's comments about Palestinian suicide bombers should be taken as an explanation for their actions or as an excuse for them.

An equally controversial question came from Joanne Philpotts, Ms Wheeler's tenant in Arwenack Avenue, who asked: "How does the panel feel about the far-right in Europe?"

June Barker, from Mylor Bridge, was celebrating her 40th birthday, and asked the panel for advice on her next 40 years.

The show was a big moment for the Arts Centre, which had applied two years ago to host it.

Manager Shaun Kavanagh said: "We were really pleased to get the opportunity to host Question Time here. It's something we could do for Falmouth which couldn't go to many other places in the town."

The panel were Baroness Professor Susan Greenfield, the acclaimed neuro-scientist and first woman director of the Royal Institute; Digby Jones, director-general of the Confederation of British Industry; Claire Rayner, the TV agony aunt and Christopher Gill, chairman of the Freedom Association.