People living on The Lizard were this week fighting moves to politically divorce the peninsula from its market town of Helston.

Representatives of the Lizard Peninsula Association were due to speak out at a public inquiry into Boundary Commission proposals to change the political make-up of the county by altering constituency borders to introduce a sixth MP.

Under the current proposals, parishes on The Lizard would be absorbed into a new Camborne-Redruth constituency, while Helston would remain in the St Ives constituency.

A protest petition circulated within the east Lizard parishes attracted almost 400 signatures within a matter of days, and a special meeting of the Lizard Peninsula Association was held to draw up a case to be presented at the public inquiry.

Association secretary Brenda Marsh, who is clerk to St Keverne parish council, said it was "ridiculous" to bracket The Lizard with Camborne and Redruth.

"We have nothing in common with them. They are industrial and we are rural," she said. "Helston is our market town. It is the gateway to The Lizard and to split us up is ridiculous. It would mean us driving through another constituency to reach our own. We have always belonged to St Ives and that's where we want to stay."

Kerrier councillors have also objected to the new arrangements, while St Ives MP Andrew George has said he would be unhappy to lose "any part" of his constituency.

The county council, on the other hand, is supporting moves to separate Helston from The Lizard.

The boundary commission's proposals would also split the existing Falmouth-Camborne constituency, with Falmouth and Penryn joining with Truro.

Current Falmouth-Camborne MP Candy Atherton has expressed her "deep sadness" at the split, but said the increasing population in Cornwall meant the county needed another MP to ensure it was represented fairly in parliament.

Despite the large number of objections generated, the commission has insisted the county's current voter population of around 385,000 entitles it to a sixth MP.

The changes, which were first recommended in a report in June, will not come into force until after the next General Election.

The inquiry, conducted by the assistant commissioner, Mr Rhodri Price Lewis QC, opened at county hall in Truro on Tuesday and was due to end today, Thursday.