CHANCELLOR George Osborne has visited a farm in Powys as the general election run in begins.

The Conservative faced questions over Britain's slowing economy when he visited Ffordd Fawr Farm at Glasbury-on-Wye this morning.

He and Conservative candidate Chris Davies fed lambs at Mark Eckley's farm before joining the farmer and wife Lisa for a coffee in their farmhouse kitchen.

The visit underlines the importance of the Brecon and Radnorshire seat to the Conservatives.

It is currently held by Liberal Democrat Roger Williams who holds a 3,747 majority over the Conservatives.

The Tory Party has been at pains to point out Brecon and Radnorshire is one of only 23 seats it needs to form a majority government, if it holds all the seats it held in the last Parliament.

Roger Williams and the Lib Dems insist they can hold either a Labour or a Conservative government to the centre ground. Mr Williams has also warned Brecon and Radnorshire is a vital gain for Conservative hopes of a majority.

Labour's Matthew Dorrance has insisted his party is aiming to win in Brecon and Radnorshire, a seat it hasn't won since 1974 when it also included more areas from the then South Wales coalfield. Labour has constantly criticised Mr Williams for voting with the Conservative/Lib Dem coalition government.

Plaid Cymru's Freddy Greaves and the Green Party's Chris Carmichael are both standing on an anti austerity ticket while UKIP candidate Darran Thomas will hope the party can repeat its success from last year's European Parliament election when it won the most votes in Powys.

See this week's Brecon & Radnor Express for more election coverage featuring Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg, Labour's Owen Smith and Conservative Michael Fallon - on sale now