THE sight of Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown turned more than a few heads at Horwich's Middlebrook Retail Park at the weekend.

But the Iron Chancellor had gone cardboard for the day . . . and was in fact working for the opposition to highlight the Conservative Party's campaign against soaring petrol prices.

James Stevens, Tory prospective parliamentary candidate for Bolton West, seized the opportunity of a Bolton-Preston derby at the nearby Reebok Stadium to take the campaign to the people.

And the cardboard cut-out Chancellor was there as the focus of the Conservative campaign enticing Saturday morning shoppers to sign Mr Stevens' petition against inflated fuel prices.

And the lukewarm weather certainly didn't dampen the campaigners' spirits as within minutes of setting their stall people were queuing to sign.

Mr Stevens said: "Since Mr Brown became Chancellor petrol prices have gone up faster than ever before. It now costs over £52 to fill up the average family car as opposed to less than £37 just three years ago.

"In Bolton we have a lot of people who live miles away from any form of public transport so their only means of getting around is by car.

"It is people who need their car for work, the elderly and lower paid who are suffering because of these rises and we believe enough is enough." Mr Stevens, 34, who works for the RSPCA, is certainly no stranger to the political sphere. His last job was masterminding the referendum campaign for the Ulster Unionist Party.

"Now, instead of me thinking up the campaign ideas I am promoting them through events such as so it is a bit of a turnaround," he added.

He dismissed suggestions that Saturday's outing was a cheap publicity stunt.

He added: "Our Gordon is a bit two dimensional but if the real Gordon Brown was her today I would be telling him to listen to the people."

And the Conservative campaign certainly had motorists pump-primed and ready for action.

Pensioner Dora Leather, 70, of Atherton, was only too willing to sign.

"I would get down on my knees to sign this petition," she said. "I think this campaign is a great idea because it is time the Government were told the motorist has had enough. Things are getting so bad that I don't know whether I will be able to run my small car anymore which I never thought would happen."

Roy Battle from Ince was also in fighting mood. "Something has got to change because the motorist is being hit time and time again. I hope this sends a clear message to the Government that motorists are being held to ransom and they don't like it."

And Paul Starkey of Westhoughton added: "I have to travel to Manchester to work every day in the car and it's getting so I cannot afford to do it.

"I do think the motorist is an easy target and I think people have had enough."