Young people from East Sussex will soon have the chance to have their say in the first UK Youth Parliament.

Elections for representatives for the county are to be held from next Monday, and all residents aged 11 to 18 will be entitled to vote.

They will choose young people from a list of candidates in three different areas; Lewes/ Wealden, Eastbourne and Hastings/Rother.

The winners will have the opportunity to raise the concerns of young people in the county and have an influence at the highest level of Government.

Jay Kramer, lead Cabinet member for education on East Sussex County Council, said: "It is important that young people directly influence local people and national Government.

"The Youth Parliament is an ideal way of getting their message across.

"This is a tremendous opportunity for young people in East Sussex to elect their representatives to take their message on to the national stage."

Polling stations, organised by East Sussex County Council's community education team, are being set up in most secondary schools and sixth form and further education colleges.

Young people can also cast their votes in libraries and youth and sport centres in Eastbourne.

Each polling station will display the election manifesto of each of the candidates standing in that area.

Led by young people of all backgrounds, the UK Youth Parliament has the support of Prime Minister Tony Blair, as well as Tory leader William Hague and Lib-Dem chief Charles Kennedy.

However, the Parliament, which will will hold its first sitting of more than 400 Youth MPs next month, will be strictly non- party political.

The purpose of the Parliament is to develop a young people's manifesto to better inform the decision-makers about the impact of their decisions on children and young people in the UK.

The manifesto will be presented to the Westminster Parliament, the Cabinet, party leaders and service providers.

There are four candidates in the Lewes/ Wealden constituency aged 12 to 16.

In the Eastbourne constituency there are three contenders aged 13 and 14.

In Hastings/Rother, there are four hopefuls, aged 14 to 17.