The ICM survey for the Mail on Sunday - carried out in the Crewe and Nantwich constituency - puts the Tories on 43%, four points ahead of Labour on 39%, with the Liberal Democrats trailing on 16%.

According to the newspaper, the figures represent a 10% swing since the last General Election and would turn Labour's 7,078 majority into a Conservative majority of well over 1,000.

Worryingly for Labour, the party would fare even worse in a General Election with 49% saying that they would vote Tory in a national poll, as against 33% for Labour and 15% for the Lib Dems.

ICM interviewed 1,004 people by telephone in Crewe on May 7 and 8.