Bank holiday shoppers were stunned when they spotted Tony Blair and Gordon Brown striding through Ikea on Monday.

The Prime Minister and Chancellor called in at the store in Valley Park on a whistle-stop tour of marginal seats.

The pair were supporting Labour candidate Geraint Davies in his bid to reclaim Croydon Central on polling day tomorrow (Thursday).They spoke to shoppers and had breakfast with Ikea workers in the staff canteen.

Mr Blair queued up alongside staff in the canteen, before tucking into a plate of bacon and beans.

And when Mr Brown went to pay for their meals with a £20 note he was politely told to put his cash away.

Jim and Susan Walsham, who were shopping with their son James, said they were in "total shock" when the premier said hello. "We have never seen them face to face," said the couple, from Bromley.

The PM and Gordon Brown then swept into the staff canteen where they had breakfast with workers who had only found out at 9am that morning and Mr Davies for about 40 minutes.

Ikea employee Karen Rowe said afterwards: "It's amazing that they want to come and talk to us. He was interesting. I've only ever seen him on TV."

The group discussed the high cost of housing in Croydon and food labelling policy.

Belinda Greasley said: "I have found out I am allergic to mono sodium glutamate and he seemed to understand the issue." Margaret Boyd remarked: "I do like Gordon Brown, very friendly. I feel like I can trust him. They are working very hard but Tony Blair looked good on it I thought.

"Although you can see he's had a spray tan."

Security staff member Gavin Piddington said he will be voting New Labour as a result of the visit.

Labour candidate Mr Davies said: "The reason they came to Ikea was it is a forward-looking modern store for modern families.

"Not like Surrey Street Market, where Michael Howard visited, which is full of rotten bananas."

Before the visit, in an interview with the Croydon Guardian, the PM confessed he did not shop at Ikea. "It's been a long time since they let me go down to the shops," he said.