AN OXFORDSHIRE charity has called for a mental health funding pledge from all election candidates.

In an open letter to prospective MPs, Dan Knowles, Oxfordshire Mind chief executive wrote: “It is not widely enough known that spending on mental health in Oxfordshire is the lowest of any county in England – 70 per cent of the national average – with the potential funding gap ranging from £16 to £28 million.”

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He added, no matter the result of the election, that the charity called on the county's MPs to work together to ensure that mental health services are properly funded, stating: "The residents of Oxfordshire should not face a 'postcode lottery' around the provision of mental health services.

Funding is our biggest local priority."