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David Cameron’s minions will roam the ‘spin room’ at Thursday night’s TV leaders debate - even though the PM is too chicken to take part.

Tory spin doctors have been granted permission by the BBC to lobby journalists as they report on the five-way debate.

Ed Miliband will take on SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon, UKIP chief Nigel Farage, Green Party’s Natalie Bennett and Plaid Cymru boss Leanne Wood in the live BBC1 contest.

But the PM bottled out of the debate ahead of the May 7 General Election.

Labour are privately furious the Beeb are allowing Tory spin doctors - and potentially senior Ministers - to try to influence reporting of the debate.

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A Labour source said: “The Tories, having done their best to wreck these debates and now boycott them, still want to influence them.

“David Cameron should be represented by an empty chair. Instead, he is will be represented by spin doctors.

“The whole country knows why David Cameron doesn’t want a head-to-head debate with Ed Miliband.

“It now appears that the Conservative Party has concluded their spin doctors will do a better job than the Prime Minister."

BBC Election Debate is on at 8pm on BBC1