One of the Conservative Party's biggest names hit the campaign trail as efforts to secure votes ahead of Copeland's by-election gathered pace.

Sir Michael Fallon, fresh from a visit to Barrow's shipyard, took to the streets of Millom with Conservative candidate Trudy Harrison.

Sir Michael said his party was committed to nuclear energy, adding Mrs Harrison would be a local champion for her community.

The Conservative Party are now 1/3 odds on favourites to win the election - a feat they have never accomplished since the Copeland constituency was established in 1983.

Sir Michael said: "It is within our grasp, but it is a hard ask for a government to win a by-election.

"I have been out with Trudy today canvassing in Millom. Copeland now has the chance to elect a true local champion."

Last week, Prime Minister Theresa May came under fire amid claims she had been "ducking" concerns about the future of a planned multi billion-pound nuclear power station following huge losses reported by Toshiba, one of its backers.

Sir Michael refused to be drawn on action the Government might take in the event of Toshiba withdrawing, saying it was 'speculation'.

But the former minister of state for energy did say: "We are committed to nuclear power.

"We are building the first nuclear power station in 20 years at Hinkley Point and have other stations in the pipeline of nuclear projects coming through.

"These are huge projects and we are doing what we can to ensure the consortium will be in place to take Moorside forward."

One key battleground in the clamour for votes in the last month has been the threat to NHS services.

Mrs Harrison said she was well-placed to take on the issue of proposed health cuts, adding: "We are all together, all the candidates want to ensure that we save services at West Cumberland Hospital. I truly believe in that, as a local person who has local connections to the hospital."

Mrs Harrison is one of seven candidates vying to replace Labour's Jamie Reed in Thursday's hotly-anticipated by-election.

Also standing are Gillian Troughton (Labour), Fiona Mills (Ukip), Rebecca Hanson (Liberal Democrats), Jack Lenox (the Green Party) and independents Michael Guest and Roy Ivinson.