CUSTOMERS at The Leopard in Burslem may have noticed the brightly-coloured band on barmaid Sophie Peppitt's wrist as she pulls their pints.

Thursday's General Election will be the first at which the 19-year-old has been eligible to vote.

Initially, she was characteristic of thousands of disaffected young voters in thinking politics is largely irrelevant to her life, saying: "I doubt whether I will vote. I don't think there's a reason to."

But when asked about her Help For Heroes wristband, Sophie has firm opinions on the country's leadership.

The teenager, from Bradwell, said: "My brother is in the Army and has just come back from Afghanistan and I don't think any of the politicians have supported soldiers enough.

"He was there about six weeks before he got the equipment he needed. They want them to fight for their country but won't give them what they need."

Sophie began working at The Leopard in September and has always had an interest in the city's historic buildings.

She wants an MP who can revitalise empty premises around the city, saying: "I'd like to see the pub further renovated and the buildings with history in Burslem brought back into use."

Neil Crisp, the former licensee at the pub who died in January, has been credited as being one of the driving forces in the campaign to transform the fortunes of the Mother Town.

His father Mike is now The Leopard's leaseholder and says Stoke-on-Trent North needs an MP with the contacts and clout to bring private businesses and the public sector together to the benefit of all.

The 67-year-old said the town needed a major retailer, as well as the implementation of proposed road changes, to bring in the shoppers which smaller businesses could then feed off.

He would also like the MP and public sector leaders to meet with business regularly to co-ordinate ideas – pointing out that the few extra pounds Stoke-on-Trent City Council may receive each day from introducing £1 night-time parking charges could have a much more telling, and negative, effect on business.

He said: "I think Burslem has died and that is because road access makes it very difficult to get to.

"Road improvements have put Tunstall on the A500 – the bigger companies wouldn't have moved in if the road access was not there.

"If we provide access here I'm sure it would convince one of the big firms to put a store here. That would be good for them and good for us.

"I don't think the public sector drives anything. It tends to follow the private sector, which drags it along kicking and screaming trying to maintain the momentum."

Businessman Alan Crank was in the pub for a family lunch, keeping an eye on 14-month-old daughter Gabrielle as she tottered about the lounge.

The 40-year-old, from Burslem, said: "I don't feel it is the politicians' fault for the decline of Burslem – the people make the town.

"It's no good having independent shops like in Manchester and Birmingham when people want Primark.

"There are so many people saying 'fancy wasting all that money on Burslem Park when there are people needing money for healthcare'.

"But can't people see that if you don't change things they will become stale?"

As Mr Crank returned to his lunch, mental health nurse Michael Burrows arrived for a post-job-interview pint.

The 31-year-old grew up in the High Lane area but now works in Leeds and, unsurprisingly, was interested in public sector job cuts.

But the former pupil at St Margaret Ward Catholic School & Arts College in Tunstall said: "I think the NHS can be streamlined. There is a lot of management and bureaucracy and money which could go to frontline workers."

Mr Burrows was also interested in how young people can afford houses, saying: "I'm interested in getting on the property ladder. I went through university, but a lot of my friends in Stoke-on-Trent went into factory jobs and onto the property ladder early. With student debt and a deposit, I'm struggling."

On local issues, Mr Burrows said: "I think the MP should be looking at the regeneration of the city and ways of funding our pot banks.

"The MP could encourage enterprise and manufacturing. We need someone with the contacts to bring that in."