Eastleigh'S prospective Tory parliamentary candidate Conor Burns has taken out a massive roadside billboard in his bid to win the seat at the next general election.

The huge advert stands at the gateway to Eastleigh's bustling shopping centre at the junction of the busy Southampton Road and Campbell Road.

It's slogan is: "Most politicians just talk. This one listens. Conor Burns. A new kind of Conservative. Being Local Matters."

The poster features a picture of Mr Burns and his three-year-old goddaughter Phoebe Hall - the daughter of Eastleigh Conservative councillor Jerry Hall - and also gives Mr Burns' home telephone number and an e-mail address.

However, the Liberal Democrats and Labour immediately hit back. The Lib Dems' prospective parliamentary candidate, Chris Huhne, said: "The Tories have lots of big business money to burn but I think we will more than compensate with enthusiasm and local support.

"There is no doubt it is going to be another close race between the Tories and us - Eastleigh remains a key marginal. Putting up a big poster on a main road is not compensation for local legwork."

Labour prospective parliamentary candidate, Chris Watt, said: "The Conservatives now seem to be writing off their chances of winning the general election by claiming national issues don't matter."

Conor Burns told the Daily Echo: "I think we are the only constituency throughout the country that has done its own local billboard advertising.

"The message I am trying to get across here is that this time in Eastleigh it is not so much a national campaign but a local one. I am totally convinced that the people of Eastleigh want the successor to David Chidgey to be a truly local person.

"I wanted people to be able to see that they can ring me at home or they can e-mail me to my personal computer and I will answer them. In an age of increasing apathy and cynicism I think it is important that people know they have a local person that they can turn to."

The poster - which has cost in the region of £800 - will be up for a month and Mr Burns says it may not be the only one which will appear locally.