AN East Lancashire Youth MP is set to go to the heart of Parliament in a bid to voice concern about student tuition fees.

Declan Maguire, recently elected by his peers across Blackburn with Darwen as their youth MP, will tackle Blackburn MP and Foreign Secretary Jack Straw about student debt and how grants are calculated.

Declan, 15, a student at Our Lady and St John RC High in North Road, Blackburn, will take on the MP as part of a campaign by the youth parliament across the North West.

Declan, of Regents View, Blackburn, was elected to office when school children across Blackburn and Darwen took to the polling stations in April.

Similar posts are held by teenagers elsewhere in the county.

"We are tackling each MP on the issue of student fees," said Declan, who said he stays away from being affiliated with any specific political party. "We are hoping to really target and bombard people with MPs behind us.

"We have sent letters to head teachers and parents to see if they will help us."

He added that it was the hot issue of the day.

Teenagers taking A Levels in East Lancashire this summer who are planning a University degree can expect to pay £1,100 for their course per year. Despite promises of support for people who say they cannot afford to pay tuition fees, the Government has still been accused of pricing higher education out of many people's reach.

On top of that will be bills for accommodation, food, living and of course money for socialising.

Declan will hold his post for a year. His deputies are Latifa Patel, a St Wilfrid's High School pupil, and Paul Fallon, who attends St Bede's RC High School.

Members of the youth parliament attend an annual national parliament, as well as regional meetings with topics ranging from public transport and sexual health to media and international news.

Declan's predecessor, Rahima Patel, tackled Prime Minister Tony Blair when he visited Blackburn last year. She demanded to know what was being done to portray youngsters in a better light.

Youth Councils are held at both Blackburn with Darwen Council and Lancashire County Council to give young people input into the decisions being made by adult councillors.