CONSERVATIVE Prime Minister David Cameron has made a brief stop in Warrington ahead of tonight's crucial TV election debate.

The PM toured the King's Leadership Academy in Woolston, the town's only free school, this morning.

He met pupils in the playground before a tour of the school and stayed for around half an hour.

It comes hours before tonight's live two-hour debate being filmed in Salford between the main seven party leaders.

Mr Cameron joked that he could do with ju jitsu when he takes on Nigel Farage and other leaders tonight.

The Prime Minister made the quip after a pupil told him the martial art was his hobby during a school visit in Warrington.

"So I get Nigel Farage and get him on the floor?" he said.

Afterwards Mr Cameron insisted there would be "no bodily contact" in the debate.

"It was a joke, there will be no bodily contact tonight," he told reporters.

After being quizzed by pupils, Mr Cameron set out his intentions for the town if re-elected and vowed to continue delivering jobs to residents.

But he criticised the council for putting 'roadblocks' in the way of the Woolston academy.

Development of the Omega site was again tipped to play a pivotal part in boosting Warrington's economy by Mr Cameron, with housing opportunities also highlighted.

"Here in the north west we have 136,000 more people in work than when I became the Prime Minister and frankly, developments like Omega are really important," he said.

"They are not only about jobs and businesses - Omega is also going to provide an extra 1000 homes.

"That is what you see under this Government - a long-term economic plan that is working and working for the north west.

"The north west is now seeing faster jobs growth than the south and economy in the north west is growing better than the south - we are re-balancing the economy."

The school opened in 2012 to mark the end of a long-running feud between the Government and Warrington Borough Council and Mr Cameron raised the importance of supporting such projects.

"I think I want to see more schools in charge of their own ship," he added.

"The secret of many of the best schools in the state sector is a head teacher and governing body who feel they are in charge and here you can really feel that.

"It is a pity that the council has tried to put many roadblocks in their way - we should be trying to support good new schools rather than block them."

"If members of Parliament like David Mowat don't get back into Parliament and we get a Labour Government there won't be more free schools like this and free schools will struggle - opposed to having new excellent schools in our state sector."

Despite the radical changes to Ofsted inspections, Mr Cameron spoke positively of the reforms.

"We have simplified the Ofsted process and made sure they focus on the key things of teaching and leadership and discipline," he said.

"The good news is if we look across the country, there are a million more children in good or outstanding schools and I suspect a school like this just starting has every chance of being one of those."

Issues concerning the NHS were addressed shortly after, with the PM raising the importance of his pledge to open GP surgeries seven days a week to the town.

"What we can expect is more funding going into the NHS - we have done that every year we have been in power and will do that again in the next Parliament," he said.

"We are seeing that this seven day opening for GP surgeries is exciting - where that has happened we have saw pressure come off A&E.

"What you get from the Conservatives is more money into the NHS and seven day opening of GP surgeries by 2020 for everybody - that is our key pledge."

Just minutes before leaving to prepare for the TV debate, being filmed in Salford, he insisted coming face-to-face with rival leaders was a relishing prospect.

"I am looking forward to it and it is a chance to get across a strong track record of creating jobs and turning the economy around," he added.

"It is a good opportunity to get across there is only one person there with a plan to how we continue that and make sure our country is a success story and I am excited about that."