Conservative Party leader David Cameron swept into Brighton yesterday in a last push to take control of the city council.

Mr Cameron said success, or failure, in Brighton and Hove will mark how much progress the Tories have made in rehabilitating the party.

The city has become one of the top Conservative targets in the country and visits from the party's two most prominent politicians in two days - Mr Cameron and shadow chancellor George Osborne - demonstrate the importance of victory in Brighton and Hove.

Rolling up his sleeves after arriving at Brighton Station, the Tory leader got door-knocking in the salubrious streets of Montpelier and Clifton Hill.

With the magnificent Regency and Victorian homes gleaming in the sunlight, the area appeared to be prime hunting ground for Tory candidates.

But the Conservatives have hit a barren spell in Regency ward, returning no councillors in the past 15 years, while Labour and the Lib Dems have shared the spoils. The patch isn't all Grade I listed buildings - it has another side of bedsits and high population turnover.

And this election is a fourway race, with the Tories and Greens muscling in.

If the Tories want overall control of the council they must leave the relative safety of Hove and take seats in central Brighton.

Many of those accosted by "Dave" and Regency candidates Michael Macfarlane and Robert Nemeth were receptive to their sales patter.

Some admitted to voting Conservative for the first time, while others refused to divulge their political persuasions. But as the tie-less Mr Cameron and his dozen-strong entourage stormed along Western Road offering handshakes and smiles, he did encounter one dissenting voice - a bemused Labour councillor, Roy Pennington, who hopes to retain Regency.

Mr Cameron said: "Brighton is a great political bellwether and we are hoping to succeed here. It is a very vibrant place and a huge success story but we can make Brighton even more successful."

Quizzed on the controversial school catchment changes, the Tory leader deftly avoided the question. But he was more forthright when confronted by a Seaford voter for his views on the Newhaven incinerator.

After establishing his MP was Lib Dem Norman Baker, Mr Cameron described the Lewes politician as "the most annoying man on earth".