Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott was jostled and heckled as he hit the campaign trail in Hove.

More than 50 placard-waving protesters surrounded Mr Prescott as he spoke in George Street yesterday.

Animal rights activists joined local Tory supporters and protesters against plans to redevelop the King Alfred, in jeering and trying to shout him down.

Labour supporters looked on anxiously as one man tried to grab the microphone from Mr Prescott.

The deputy prime minister told him: "Don't be so stupid. Don't push your luck."

The heckler struck up a chant of "Two Jags, two Jags" - a reference to Mr Prescott's ministerial cars. He was later warned by police after he tried to pull balloons from a temporary podium.

Mr Prescott was challenged face to face about Labour's last election promises by Conservative prospective MP Jenny Langston.

He told her: "I will tell you about our promises. The economy is doing well. There are one million more people in work since we took over from the Tories.

"Inflation and interest rates are down, we have raised classroom standards for half a million six and seven-year-olds and hospital waiting lists are down by 100,000."

Mr Prescott was shown around George Street by Hove MP Ivor Caplin.

He was told how Brighton and Hove City Council was spending £450,000 on environmental improvements in the street.

Mr Prescott paused briefly to speak to shoppers and traders as the protesters followed him, jeering and chanting slogans including: "Tony Blair is the weakest link. Goodbye!"

Mr Prescott's election battle bus rolled into the centre of Hove to help defend Ivor Caplin's slim majority of 3,959 votes.

Labour overturned a Tory majority of more than 12,000 to take the seat at the last General Election.

When Tony Blair heard Hove had fallen to Labour he took it as confirmation that his Party was heading for power.