The Lib Dems are hoping to win the key marginal of Cardiff Central

The Liberal Democrats are making "good progress" in attracting new Welsh voters, Charles Kennedy said.

On a visit to the key marginal of Cardiff Central, which the party hopes to win on May 5, Kennedy said his party's proposals would appeal to voters.

Kennedy's 'battle bus' stopped at St Monica's Primary School in Cardiff, where local candidate Jenny Willott joined the party leader.

The Lib Dem chief read to pupils from a book called 'Gerry's Story', about a giraffe .

And he told journalists that his party was appealing to both Labour and Conservative voters.

"We have campaigned on a package of proposals based on fair tax, changing the council tax to local income tax, getting rid of student top-up fees and tuition fees, and introducing free long-term personal care and support for the elderly - that has an appeal to people who may have voted Labour or may have voted Conservative in days gone by," said Kennedy.

"That is why you can have a seat like Maidenhead - Conservative held, or here in Cardiff - Labour held where the Liberal Democrats are able to make good progress."

Willott added that scrapping Labour's Child Trust Funds would "enable us to fund schools so they can reduce class sizes".

"Cutting class sizes to an average of 20 in infant schools, and 25 in junior schools, would bring tremendous benefits," she said.

Rural Wales

Elsewhere on the campaign trail, senior figures from the Conservatives were wooing voters in rural areas.

Shadow agriculture secretary James Paice visited a market in Builth Wells in the Brecon and Radnorshire constituency, where the Lib Dems are defending just a 750 vote majority.

The Welsh Conservatives were on Friday turning their focus to rural issues, with a tour taking in most of the marginal constituencies of the Welsh countryside.

In addition to his Brecon and Radnorshire visit, Paice's itinerary was set to take him through the Vale of Clwyd, Clwyd West and Conwy.

Paice was campaigning with parliamentary candidates Andrew Davies, Felicity Elphick, David Jones and Guto Bebb, as well as meeting representatives from the Country Landowners' Association, the Farmers' Union of Wales and the NFU.