VICTORY will be sweet for the winning party in the General Election, but for the average punter the run-up is just as sugar-coated.

From chocolate lollies to specially baked cakes, voters can reveal their intentions before the big day at the same time as indulging their sweet tooth.

Thorntons in Market Walk, Chorley, have cornered the chocolate market, with lolly caricatures of John Major, Tony Blair, Paddy Ashdown and "Screaming" Lord Sutch of the Monster Raving Loony Party. The shop also boasts a "chocometer", which depicts cartoons of all four leaders with an arrow pointing to the man whose lollies are selling best.

The novelties are selling like hot cakes and Thorntons are raking in the lolly. They hope to sell 350,000 of the sweet treats nationally.

A spokeswoman for Thorntons said: "John Major and Tony Blair seem to be selling better than Paddy Ashdown, but the kids are definitely going for Lord Sutch because they think he's the cutest."

Bakers are also throwing their hats into the rings with various novelty cakes going on sale soon. Hampsons, in Chapel Street, Chorley are making doughnuts topped with blue, red and yellow icing and hope to gauge local opinion by sales of each colour.

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