by Martin Jefferies

Shadow foreign secretary William Hague was given a less than friendly welcome by one Ramsgate resident as he walked the streets of the town on Wednesday.

Mr Hague, who led the Conservative party between 1997 and 2001, joined Laura Sandys, the Tories' parliamentary candidate for South Thanet, as she canvassed voters in the town centre.

But the visit was briefly disrupted when one man shouted and swore at Mr Hague as he passed a newsagents in King Street.

The 49-year-old politician seemed unconcerned by the incident as he climbed into a waiting car and headed off to meet party supporters in Dover.

Mr Hague, who joined Tory leader David Cameron's top team in 2005, met shoppers and traders, including Jonny Dunhill, owner of local fishmonger Eddie Gilbert's, during his whistlestop tour.

He said: "It's in places like South Thanet that the general election can be won and lost. Voters in this constituency have the privilege of playing an important role in the outcome of our entire campaign."

Wednesday's visit came just days after Gleyns Kinnock, wife of the former Labour leader Neil Kinnock, called into a community centre in the town to give her backing to Ms Sandys' political rival Stephen Ladyman.

Earlier this month, Ms Sandys was joined in Ramsgate by Richard Benyon, the shadow minister for fisheries.

Even more top politicians are expected to visit South Thanet before voters head to the polls on Thursday, May 6.

The constituency, which includes Ramsgate, Broadstairs, Sandwich and parts of Cliftonville, is a key marginal. Dr Ladyman won by just 664 votes in the 2005 general election.

Other candidates for the seat include the Liberal Democrats' Peter Bucklitsch and the UK Independence Party's Trevor Shonk.