'Nothing in life is a dead cert'

TORY Party leader David Cameron was heckled by unimpressed voters when he took part in a whistle-stop tour of Bromley.

The Conservative chief visited the town centre on Monday as part of Bob Neill's by-election campaign and, while the reception was generally warm, some disgruntled residents plied Mr Cameron with urgent questions.

Joyce Earl, from Bromley Pensioners' Association, demanded answers on the NHS funding crisis after Mr Cameron refused to sign a petition against using private companies in the health service.

She said: "He's saying there's a role for the NHS to go private but if someone is offered an operation in a private hospital the money is offered to the private hospital. It's bleeding out.

"If the Government assigns more money to nurses it goes into a big pot, it isn't ring-fenced for nurses."

A tanned and relaxed Mr Cameron, who arrived by train only to be driven back down the High Street to Bromley South station, was confronted by another woman, this time over pensions.

She declared: "I've never voted Conservative in my life and I don't intend to start at 76. I was working class, our children had good help at university and decent professional pensions, can you offer us that?"

When asked what she thought about the new Tory Party the feisty pensioner retorted: "There's isn't such a thing."

The Conservative leader was also confronted by zany independent candidate Nick Hadziannis, 22, who shouted 'Vote for Nick' through a megaphone.

He said: "I don't have the money to go on TV. I have to use a megaphone to get my message across to people. I want some youth centres, there's nothing for kids to do around here. And pensioners are unemployed, so what's the difference between an unemployed person and a pensioner paying council tax?

"Your MP should be there to serve constituents not to venture off into the GLA. I would be sorting things out, not just saying 'I've passed on your concerns.'"

FULL REPORT HERE - Bromley Times