Prime Minister David Cameron threw his weight behind the Conservative campaign for Bradford West today as he visited a free school in the constituency.

Mr Cameron spoke to pupils at Kings Science Academy in Manningham Lane, Bradfiord, on a visit with his party’s by-election candidate Jackie Whiteley.

He described the school, which opened up in September to 11-year-olds, as innovative and inspiring.

Of the Conservatives bid to win the Bradford West seat he told the Telegraph & Argus: “The Conservatives have been making a recovery in Yorkshire and across the north of England. We want to do better. I think in Jackie we’ve got an excellent candidate.

"We’ve been fighting a very strong local campaign and Jackie is Yorkshire through and through.

“But also the Government I believe has been investing in Bradford - there is the £17 million for the city centre regeneration, there’s the news now that Bradford is going to get superfast broadband, there’s the money that we are investing into the northern rail hub which includes the money announced yesterday for improving the Manchester-Bradford line, and there’s the regional growth fund investment in the area.

"I think all those things show that we want to regenerate and build up the enterprise and economy around Bradford.”

The other candidates standing in the by-election are: Neil Craig (Democratic Nationalists); George Galloway (Respect); Alan "Howling Laud" Hope (Monster Raving Loony Party); Imran Hussain (Labour); Dawud Islam (Green Party); Sonja McNally (UK Independence Party); Jeanette Sunderland (Liberal Democrat).

Voters in the constituency will go to the polls next Thursday and a potential 10,731 postal votes are expected to be cast in advance.