Opening the door to find the Chancellor of the Exchequer standing on your doorstep does not happen every day.

But it happened to Raj Parvatikar when he opened the door of his Cippenham home on Friday to find Philip Hammond - the man in charge of the country's finances - standing there.

The chancellor was visiting Slough to support Conservative election candidate Mark Vivis.

Mr Parvatikar and his son Darsh, seven, were among those to receive a surprise knock on the door.

Slough is clearly seen as a possible 'swing seat' for the Conservatives in the forthcoming election now that veteran Labour MP Fiona Mactaggart is standing down.

Mr Hammond said: "Fiona Mactaggart has been Slough's MP but now she has gone and there is everything to play for."

So what sort of reaction had he been getting on the doorstep?.

"The usual jokes about have I come to collect their tax."

How many recognised him on the doorstep?

"About 60 per cent" he said.

Mr Parvatikar has always been a firm supporter of Miss Mactaggart he told the Chancellor but he was not ruling anything out this time round.

Two leading Conservative party Sajid Javid and Secretary for International Development Priti Patel have both come to Slough to help Mr Vivis' campaign.