The first of a series of weekly reports on party funding has revealed the Conservatives have raked in more cash than Labour.

Data published by the Electoral Commission covered the period from April 5, when the lection was called, to April 11.

It showed Michael Howard's Tories raising some £362,500 from 14 donations. Labour lagged behind on just under £166,000.

For the other parties reporting cash, the sums were much smaller still. The Liberal Democrats gained £25,000, while both Respect and the UK Independence Party reported £20,000.

Labour's breakdown revealed a donation-in-kind in staff time of some £15,619 from advertising agency TBWA London.

There were also large donations from the TGWU, Amicus and GMB unions.

The Tories are thought to have built up an election war chest of £20m - contrasting with a fighting fund thought to be £14m within Labour's HQ.

The Liberal Democrats underspend their rivals by millions of pounds, although the party recently announced it had spent £100,000 in a single day's PR campaigning.