DAVID Cameron gave his backing to plans to create an academy in Colchester during a question and answer session in the town.

The Conservative leader made Colchester the 28th stop on his Cameron Direct tour.

His meet-and-greet along the High Street was cancelled because it was raining and he was driven to the door of Colchester’s Moot Hall in a Toyota Prius hybrid car – in-keeping with his green message – instead.

He took questions from about 200 people during the hour-long session in which schools in Colchester was a hot topic.

Mr Cameron said the GCSE grades at one of the schools – 43 per cent at Alderman Blaxhill – was unacceptable and that it would be wrong if Essex County Council ignored it.

He said: “It has to be up to the county council and people in Colchester to decide.

“But the one thing we can’t do is just turn away and do nothing about.

“If you have six out of ten children getting less than five GCSEs at A*-C, are you happy with that? Are those kids going to have a good chance in life?”

He also spoke in favour of academies as a way of attracting more money into secondary schools from businesses.

He added: “If you get the chance of having a new academy in Colchester, I would take it.

“They turn schools where for years there was this bigotry of low expectations, and gave them great results.”

Other topics raised included MPs’ expenses, ID cards, housing, regional government, public spending and support for families of the armed forces.

The 42-year-old reiterated his call for an era of thrift – but gave little detail of cuts his party would make.

Neil Atkinson, 29, of High Street, Brightlingsea, said: “I thought it was excellent. I loved his confidence to come to a town to discuss views.”

James Devenny, 21, an Essex University law student, said: “He made a good impression and spoke well.”

Mr Cameron, who described Colchester as a marginal seat, also spoke to party members at the Conservative Club.