ES News email The latest headlines in your inbox twice a day Monday - Friday plus breaking news updates Enter your email address Continue Please enter an email address Email address is invalid Fill out this field Email address is invalid You already have an account. Please log in Register with your social account or click here to log in I would like to receive lunchtime headlines Monday - Friday plus breaking news alerts, by email Update newsletter preferences

Former Labour leader Ed Miliband has joked that helping a constituent to mow her lawn was “grassroots strategy in action”.

Photographs showed the MP for Doncaster North pushing the lawnmower in a voter’s garden as he joined councillors canvassing in the Moorends area on Monday.

A campaigner posted the pictures on Facebook and claimed that Mr Miliband's green fingers had won the vote of the surprised householder.

Jayne Naphtali shared the photographs with the caption: "Out canvassing with Ed Miliband and he starts mowing the lawn for a lady (we have her vote!)."

The Labour MP reposted the pictures and added the message: "Attn: Doncaster North voters. Labour's grassroots strategy in action."

He also retweeted a different photograph posted by Jane Nightingale, councillor for Bentley, which she said was a "bit more of a close up to show he really did mow the lawn".

Mr Miliband was canvassing with Doncaster Council Labour councillors standing for re-election in local elections on Thursday.

He will stand for re-election in his Doncaster North constituency in the General Election on June 8.