A CONSERVATIVE election candidate has defended herself over a claim that she healed a deaf man by praying for him.

Kirsty Adams, who is fighting the marginal constituency of Hove and Portslade for the Conservatives in next month’s General Election, said in a video posted on her church’s website that she had laid her hands on a man who had hearing aids in both ears in 2009, and prayed “‘Be healed in Jesus’s name.’

“He took my hands off and he could actually hear. I don’t know if he was more surprised than me,” Ms Adams said.

After The Daily Mirror questioned her about the video, Ms Adams told the paper there was nothing wrong in praying for the sick.

“Like millions of Christians in the UK, I believe in praying to help people,” she said. “Millions of Christians around the world pray for people’s health ­— that’s a good thing isn’t it? It’s about tolerance, and we are a city of tremendous tolerance.”

Ms Adams attends King’s Arms Church in Bedford, a prominent Charismatic Evangelical church which is part of the Newfrontiers network.

The Labour veteran Paul Flynn told the Mirror that Ms Adams seemed to be “up to the standard” of the Conservative Party on “unscientific science”, and jokingly asked whether her healing ministry would be available through the NHS.