IN an effort to win over voters, Tory leader Michael Howard has brought his wife in on the act.

Former model Sandra Howard yesterday made a whistle-stop tour through the Midlands.

Emerging from Worcester's Guildhall to cheers from her small entourage of supporters who were armed with placards and balloons, Mrs Howard joined the city's Conservative candidate Margaret Harper in a "meet and greet" walkabout.

The purpose of her visit? According to her PR team it wasn't "political" but rather an opportunity to air her support for the Tory female candidates after the Party recently came under fire for having too few.

And the 20 placard-wielding Tory followers were there to show how Conservative supporters aren't all "old toffs," according to one of her team - even if only three of them were under 50.

It seemed her presence met with a mixed reaction. One woman on a bike shouted: "Tories are the worst out of the lot of them," before riding off in disgust, while another angry man bawled "vote for the National Front."

Some appeared to be clueless about who she was, with one perplexed woman asking her husband to clarify the matter.

Told she was the wife of our possible future Prime Minister, the woman replied angrily: "She's a waste of time too." But despite the glaring hostility, Mrs Howard's beaming smile never dimmed as she popped into a host of shops in the High Street and The Shambles to chat to workers, and she even took time out to buy a Worcester News. A few shoppers were keen to tell her the Conservatives would get their vote, but not everyone gave the same response.

Bin man Bill Pickett asked her not to "push him" when she was clearly left unimpressed after he told her he was still undecided.

And even telling 80-year-old Betty Sweet that "I'm Michael Howard's wife and I can tell you he gets things done," didn't seem to sway the pensioner who revealed she wasn't going to vote.

Admitting it was unusual for the wife of a political party leader to do the rounds on his behalf, she added: "This is an opportunity to try and make people see the need to vote. It's clear from today that there's one or two people who weren't going to vote and that's a little bit frustrating because we feel it's their loss."

Hain and Foster on the trail

CABINET minister Peter Hain joined Labour's Worcester candidate Mike Foster on the election campaign trail.

Mr Hain, the leader of the house of commons, helped promote the party's new manifesto before joining Mr Foster meeting voters in and around Medway Road, Ronkswood, Worcester.

It was the second time a Government minister had visited the city since the election was called after international development secretary Hilary Benn called on Tuesday.