POTENTIAL Tory voters in Swindon will be targeted by call centres in the run-up to the next election.

The Conservative Party plans to use marketing software to identify potential supporters in key constituencies then telephone them to try to win their votes.

And as the Tories try to wrench Swindon away from Labour, voters here will be among the 400,000 targeted across the country.

Tory candidate Robert Buckland, challenging the South Swindon seat held by Julia Drown, confirmed the party's call centre would be helping out with canvassing.

"I think telephone canvassing is one of the array of tools that modern candidates can use," he said.

"The central party will be helping us out but I am certainly not going to be sitting back in my office. I am and will be going round meeting people face-to-face. I think people are genuinely pleased to see their candidate."

Ms Drown won the seat with a majority of 7,341 in 2001 but is standing down at the next election to spend more time with her young family. Former teacher Anne Snelgrove is hoping to step into her shoes and will contest the seat for Labour after being selected by her party.

Justin Tomlinson, Tory candidate for North Swindon and also local councillor for Abbey Meads, confirmed he had also been offered support from the call centre but said he preferred to use local door-to-door canvassing.

"I passionately believe you have got to make the effort," he said. "I am not a great believer in telephone canvassing. Over the last two years we have not done any and that was a conscious decision.

"We were offered it but it will certainly not be a priority for me."

However, Coun Tomlinson did say he would be more interested when a call centre was set up in the West Country as the canvassing could then be 'more local'. A centre is being established near Birmingham to start the campaign but smaller regional centres are planned.

Conservative central office refused to confirm exactly where they would be but Coun Tomlinson said there would be one in the West Country before the next election.

The centres will be staffed by professional telemarketers and party volunteers using software, developed by the US Republicans, which identifies how people are likely to vote based on data on shopping and lifestyle habits.

Coun Tomlinson added that the Swindon constituencies were priorities for the Conservatives.

"The two Swindon seats are key seats for the next election," he said. "Whichever way Swindon goes the election will go."

Labour's Michael Wills holds the North Swindon seat, having won with a majority of 8,105 in 2001.

The Labour Party first used a call centre staffed by professional staff for its 2001 campaign and opened a new centre earlier this year.

Emma-Kate Lidbury