Not long after launching the Conservative manifesto amid the glare of the national media spotlight yesterday, David Cameron was wandering around Stratton with wife Samantha to meet families.

The couple first called on Paul Pearson and Nicole Calver, who run the Dockle Farmhouse in Bridge End Road, and bought their house in Sanders Close through the Government's Help to Buy scheme in 2013.

The Pearsons, came to live in Swindon from Plymouth and Norwich, when they took over the pub eight years ago, and Mr Cameron joked that the town provided a half-way point for their families.

Afterwards Mr Pearson, 36, said: "We had a call last night saying that the Prime Minister wanted to visit, it's not the kind of thing you turn down.

"He comes across well on the television and he was quite easy to speak to. They both seemed very relaxed."

The couple know North Swindon Conservative candidate Justin Tomlinson, who has meetings at the pub, and that led to the meeting with the Tory leader.

Justin said: “I helped Paul and Nicole get their new house and through the Help to Buy scheme meaning they could get a property which was bigger than they thought they could afford.”

Then the Camerons went across the road to chat to Chris and Caroline Matthews, who live in Sanders Close, with Samantha paying particular attention to six-year-old Hope, who has a mitochondrial disease.

The Camerons' severely disabled son Ivan died in 2009 and mum Caroline, who is a full-time carer for Hope, said: "Although the conditions are different we've seen some of the same consultants and been to the same hospitals as them, so we chatted about that."

The couple only came out of their home when they saw police in the street and wondered what was going on.

Chris, a Honda worker, said: "We were going to vote for him anyway and it's nice when people live up to expectations when you actually meet them."