Cameron is egged – and did not hug the hoodie

David Cameron displayed restraint not always seen on the British election campaign trail yesterday when a hoodie-wearing teenager threw an egg at him on a visit to a Cornish college. The self-styled heir to Blair displayed a touch of Teflon Tony as the free-range missile bounced off his shoulder and splattered a nearby policeman. The yolk nevertheless left a stain on his white shirt, a Tory aide confirmed.

Having been confronted with a giant chicken on Tuesday, Mr Cameron joked: "Now I know which came first: the chicken not the egg."

Mr Cameron had been taking part in a Q&A session with students at Cornwall College Saltash. The young man was named as Tyler Dixon, 16, a bricklaying student from nearby Ernesettle. He was led away by police, hooded top pulled up around his face, without so much as a hug from the Conservative leader. He was released without charge.

Speaking in Cardiff, Gordon Brown said of the incident: "I am sorry if anything has happened. We want to have a fair campaign."

But should the worst happen, the Prescott Express is on call.