Shoppers mob Tory leader

Hundreds of shoppers mobbed Mrs. Thatcher yesterday as she sharpened her weapons for the second Battle of Bosworth.

She was meant to take 20 minutes for the walkabout in the shopping precinct at Coalville, Leics., but it took her 40 minutes to cover 200 yards.

The town is in the marginal constituency of Bosworth, where her Parliamentary Private Secretary, Mr. Adam Butler, is defending a majority of just 302.

At one point Mrs. Thatcher slipped, into a chemists shop to escape the rush of shoppers and at another stage, police had to link arms to form a circle round her for protection.

She was asked her opinion on everything from prices to punk. She said the Tories would tackle inflation and told a youth with a punk badge who asked her if she would scrap school uniforms: “Some schools like them, some don't and you obviously don't. But punk is not my taste.”

Earlier Mrs. Thatcher had a meeting with party workers and told them they were having to counter a considerable smear campaign by Labour Ministers.

She repeated her pledge to maintain the level of pensions.

Later she visited the Cadbury factory at Bournville and last night spoke in Birmingham.

The grocery shop where Mrs. Thatcher used to help her father is being used to help the Tory campaign.

The premises at Grantham are being used for a display of posters in support of the candidate Mr. Douglas Hogg, and includes a picture of Mrs. Thatcher.