CONSERVATIVE Party leader William Hague visited the offices of the public relations company employed to boost his public image, yesterday.

Mr Hague visited the offices of Yellow M, in Newcastle, to meet the people in charge of increasing his and the party's popularity.

The party signed a contract with Yellow M three months ago and Mr Hague said it was the first time he had been to its head office.

He said: ''I have not been here before so I wanted to meet all the people here."

In reply to whether he was discussing the party's image for the next Conservative Party conference he said: "We've had a chat about that but I've just been here to say hello."

A spokesman for Mr Hague denied that the meeting was held to discuss the Tory leader's own image.

Mr Hague was due to spend the rest of the day in private engagements and was visiting the Meadow Well Community Centre in North Tyneside.

In the early 1990s, the Meadow Well estate hit the headlines following a series of riots, but it has since been given a major facelift by the local council.