Following the dispatch of ballot papers, voting is getting underway in the Conservative leadership election.

Many of nearly 300,000 Tory members were thought to be ready to decide on their choice over the weekend, despite the deadline for returns not being until December 5.

That has made the early skirmishes for support particularly crucial, with David Davis battling to stay in contention with frontrunner David Cameron.

However, the shadow home secretary was boosted by a strong performance in the first head-to-head television debate between the two on Thursday night.

Davis was widely thought to have 'won' the contest on the BBC's Question Time programme, though without landing any knockout blows.

In a bid to maintain his momentum on Saturday, he was continuing his regional tour with visits to Eastbourne and Mid Sussex.

The trip followed meetings with members on Friday in the Cotswolds, Cheltenham and Cardiff.

Meanwhile Cameron met with non-Conservative voters who have pledged their support to him, before visiting Hampshire and Berkshire as part of his own campaign tour.