FORMER Prime Minister Tony Blair paid a surprise visit to East Lancashire today ahead of the General Election.

Mothers at Earcroft children's centre in Darwen looked up in astonishment as one of the world's most famous politicians strode into the creche, flanked by security guards and Rossendale and Darwen candidate Janet Anderson.

The visit, kept deliberately low-key by Labour Party bosses for fear of overshadowing the campaign by his successor Gordon Brown, was an attempt to drum up support in one of the North West's key marginal seats.

Mr Blair spent an hour at the Sure Start centre, chatting to parents and posing with their babies.

Speaking afterwards, he urged East Lancashire Labour faithful not to abandon the party on the day senior cabinet ministers publicly suggested people should vote tactically to keep the Conservatives out.

He said: "Vote for what you believe in. If people are turned on by the Lib Dems, go and read their policies.

"That's what it's about. This children's centre is the produce of a policy.

"If you come back and decide to vote for them, that's fine.

"But don't vote for them because it's a nice thing to do. An election is a serious business."

Asked about Labour's record after 13 years, with many parts of East Lancashire still ranked among the poorest parts of the country, he insisted: "There is a long way to go.

"It can take a generation to get things fixed. Compared to where we were there is a lot of improvement."

And he shrugged off Labour's string of defeats in local elections - the party no longer controls any local authorities in Lancashire - adding: "It always happens in council elections when a government has been in power for a long time."

After his black BMW had left Darwen, the parents gave their reaction.

Mother-of-four Jackie Ashton, of Falcon Avenue, said she would be voting Labour, adding: "I had no idea he was coming.

"He was quite nice, not how I expected him to be.

"I don't know whether Gordon Brown would be the same."

Mother-of-five Maureen Kitchen said she was "shocked" but said the former Prime Minister was 'more normal than on TV'.

33-year-old Lynwood resident Daniel Wrigley, who has two children, added: "I saw the police and wondered what it was.

"He seemed pleasant enough, but I won't be voting. I never have, it doesn't affect me."

Mrs Anderson, who is battling a fierce Tory campaign to overturn her 3,676 majority, said: "I specifically asked if Tony could come and see the success of Sure Start here in Darwen.

"I think it will be very close. It's always been a marginal seat."

On a later visit to Bury North, the constituency which includes Ramsbottom, Mr Blair praised Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

He said: “The most important thing about Gordon is that he made the right decision when it came to the economy.

"If he hadn’t we wouldn’t have been able to have this debate right now.

“It would have been an economic catastrophe and there would not be the level of investment in things such as this Sure Start centre which is great facility.

“My message would be that if you want to see economic recovery then vote Labour.

"It is the policies that matter and people should vote on the policies."