It was all hands to the pump as John Prescott pulled a pint for punters in Burnage.

The former deputy prime minister popped into the Sun In September pub for a quick drink after a hard day rallying voters.

The political heavyweight who used to work as a steward in the merchant navy was allowed behind the bar to pull a pint of bitter for a thirsty Labour campaigner.

But the party bigwig decided to forego drinking a pint himself and stuck to a coke.

Landlord and landlady Alan and Carole Taylor, who have run the pub on Burnage Lane for 17 years, kept an eagle eye on the would-be barman.

Alan said: "He was a fantastic fella and chatted to a couple of the punters.

"He worked in the trade in the past and he’s been through it all so he knows the score.

"He didn’t have long to stay, but he was having a laugh and he seemed to have a good time."

Alan, 58, added: "He’s welcome back any time and if he wants to get behind the bar again that’s fine."

Mr Prescott was on the road with his Labour party campaigning battle bus. He visited Burnage with Labour’s parliamentary candidate for Manchester Withington, Lucy Powell.

He spoke to voters outside Tesco on Lane End Road and drummed up a crowd of around 70 people. He was also joined by leader of Manchester City Council Sir Richard Leese.

Ms Powell said: "It was hilarious to see John pulling pints. He took a couple of goes to get it right but he got there eventually.

"He’d been mobilising the crowds and was saying how the election was still winnable although it's likely to be close."

Earlier in the day, Mr Prescott had been speaking at a meeting of Labour Twitter users at Manchester Town Hall.

He praised the coverage by the Reporter and our sister paper, the Manchester Evening News, of using Twitter to cover council meetings.

Mr Prescott said: "I think it is a very good idea and it is very important. It’s about the quality of the message that you are sending across." The Hull MP, who has been at the heart of

Labour’s online presence, joked: "It was my son who said, if you are going to do this properly, you’ll need either a Blackberry or an iPhone.

"And since they call me Two Jags, I thought I’d have both."