HOME Secretary Theresa May made a last-ditch bid to persuade undecided voters in Stourbridge to remain in the EU this evening (Wednesday).

The Minister took part in a public debate at Chawn Hill Church in Pedmore to answer questions about Britain's membership of the EU and outline why she believes in voting to Remain.

The high-profile cabinet member had been due to take to the stage at the church last Thursday but the event was cancelled after the shock murder of Labour MP Jo Cox.

With just hours to go before the polls open for the long-awaited, much-talked about EU Referendum - Minister James Treasure from Chawn Hill Church quizzed Ms May on questions submitted by members of the audience during the hour-long hustings style event hosted by Stourbridge MP Margot James.

Ms James said: "Still there are some people who are not yet decided. There are people who don't decide until they are on their way to the ballot box. If this is the last word people have - I can't think of a better person for people to be listening to."

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The Government Minister told the audience being part of the EU was vital for maintaining security.

She said: "As a member we have access to tools and instruments that I believe genuinely keep us safer - that countries outside don't have access to, such as the EU watch list at borders with information about criminals. I don't think there's any country that has access that's not a member."

She also trumpeted the European Arrest Warrant which she said countries outside the EU do not benefit from - adding: "Norway has been in negotiations for over ten years and it still hasn't been put in place. There are some EU countries who won't extradite their nationals to countries that aren't in the EU."

The leave.eu campaign, however, says Britain could potentially be safer outside the EU as access to potentially dangerous EU citizens could be restricted and they also claim the UK would be in a better position to deport convicted EU criminals.

Leave campaigners also claim it is inconceivable to suggest Britain's national security can benefit from remaining in a political union with free movement of people.

The Home Secretary, however, warned those thinking of voting out: "There's no alternative that would give us access to a single market that won't involve accepting free movement."

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And when quizzed about people's fears about immigration, she said: "There's no silver bullet, no single solution that solves all people's concerns. It is right that we should be looking to bring control to our immigration system. We have negotiated changes that will have an impact."

But she told the audience: "It's important that we're inter-connected. Opportunities open to future generations with the UK a member of the EU are far greater than they would be outside the EU.

"A vote tomorrow I look at as a vote for the future. It's not about voting for the Europe that we've had; it's about voting for the opportunities for the future."

Leave campaigners, meanwhile, are urging voters to make June 23 independence day so that Britain can decide its own laws and global trade deals and save billions in payments to the EU.

Councillor Paul Brothwood, Dudley's UKIP leader, said: "The EU is an institution of the past for the past. Millions of people will Vote Leave today to restore sovereignty to UK.

"By voting leave people can reject old ways of thinking that hinder freedom and damage economic prosperity."

He said a vote to leave would "bring an end to high trade tariffs that create widespread poverty in Africa and beyond".

The leave.eu movement, meanwhile, says leaving Europe would give Britain its own seat on the World Trade Organisation where it is currently represented by the EU.

Latest polls suggest the crunch vote could still go either way but Conservative Party sources suggest there are more Eurosceptics in the West Midlands and figures here have indicated a slight lean to the Leave campaign.

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