THE Prime Minister swept into Redditch yesterday in a ''back to the people'' exercise - but he denied his visit was anything to do with the forthcoming General Election, widely believed to be in May.

Tony Blair was accompanied by new Education Secretary Ruth Kelly during his one-hour visit to Kingsley Sports Centre in Woodrow, where he met parents, teachers and Labour Party members.

One uninvited guest, parent Helen Donovan, of the Fairer Funding for Worcestershire Schools campaign, was finally allowed a short private sitting with Mr Blair after some persuasion.

On his arrival, the PM stopped off to watch some pupils playing ''benchball'' and was promptly asked by young Charlotte Hallahan: "Are you Tony Blair?".

Mr Blair joked: "No, I'm just a guy who looks like him."

Then he spoke to the hundred or so people gathered there.

Most told the Advertiser afterwards they were impressed by Mr Blair, including 11-year-old Lisa King, of Birchensale Middle School, who told him how she was getting on at school.

Parent Fakral Hussain, of Batchley, told Mr Blair he was concerned about the number of high schools in Redditch since the closure of Bridley Moor.

He said he was trying to get his son into St Augustine's High School but feared he would fail.

Mr Hussain said: "It's a struggle but Mr Blair said there would be legislation to allow schools to expand if they want to, which reassured me."

On the fairer funding for Worcestershire issue, Mr Blair said: "We extended the 'area cost adjustment' from the south and I know there's a feeling in Worcestershire that 'we should have that too'.

''But we keep things under review because people come to us and make that complaint. It is worth pointing out that funding in Worcestershire is up by almost £700 per pupil."

But he admitted the relative position of Worcestershire LEA's Government funding was not as good as people would like.

On the election date he said: "Obviously, there's a lot of speculation about it but when I said that 'if I don't know, no-one else does', that's true.

''It would be a bit ridiculous to say I hadn't thought about it but no decision has been taken."