Cameron targets Yorkshire in frenzied 24 hours of campaigning for night-shift vote

Heavyweights from all three parties spent another frenzied day on the campaign trail in Yorkshire yesterday before the Tory leader embarks on his marathon through-the-night trip tonight which will see him visit the likes of fishermen, bakers and florists who work in the early hours of the morning.

The Tories took the fight to the Liberal Democrats as Shadow Home Secretary Chris Grayling and Shadow Cabinet Office Minister Francis Maude went to Harrogate and Knaresborough, held by Nick Clegg's party since 1997, and York Outer, a new seat where election experts calculate the Lib Dems have a majority of just over 200.

Labour also had two big hitters out with Home Secretary Alan Johnson visiting a Mosque in Leeds North West, a three-way marginal currently held by the Liberal Democrats, before addressing activists. and Environment Secretary Hilary Benn in Cleethorpes, a seat being eyed by the Tories.

Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Chris Huhne was supporting Greg Mulholland, who won the seat from Labour in 2005, while former cabinet minister Shirley Williams was in Sheffield backing city council leader Paul Scriven, who is seeking to win the Labour seat of Sheffield Central.

With the hours ticking away until polling day, all three party leaders were also busy trying to win over millions of undecided voters as Labour launched a seaside manifesto, the Tories unveiled plans to boost school sport, and the Lib Dems released a list of celebrity supporters.

Mr Cameron, whose energetic campaign has already seen him make five trips to this region, was buoyed by an Ipsos MORI poll of 57 marginal seats for Reuters which suggested the Conservatives could win an outright majority, with just two seats to spare.

He said the Tories have "everything left to do" to secure victory on Thursday but claimed to have the "momentum" ahead of the crunch poll as he campaigned in Blackpool.

Mr Cameron was promoting his School Olympics initiative, which would involve regional school heats culminating in a grand final at the Olympic stadium in London in 2011, backed by sportsmen including gold-medallist yachtsman Ben Ainslie and former England footballer Ian Wright.

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister was battling in Great Yarmouth as he said he would be campaigning "every second, every minute, every hour. In the wind, in the rain, in the sun. Every day and in every way."

Mr Brown has seen support for Labour ebbing away since the dramatic surge in support for Mr Clegg following the first televised leaders debate.

His warning came as Labour unveiled a party election broadcast with actor Ross Kemp saying: "If you get into bed with Nick Clegg, you might just wake up with David Cameron."