The Conservatives have edged ahead of Ukip in the latest poll on the key Kent battleground of South Thanet.

The poll by Lord Ashcroft puts the Conservatives on 34%, UKIP on 32% and Labour on 26%. The Lib Dems are on 3% - behind the Green candidate on 4%.

With just over a week to go before polling day, the findings indicate that the outcome remains on a knife edge but increasingly looking like a two-way fight between Conservative candidate Craig Mackinlay and Ukip party leader Nigel Farage.

Writing about the poll, Lord Ashcroft said: "In Thanet South I found the Conservatives two points ahead of Ukip, 34 per cent to 32 per cent, despite nearly nine out of ten voters there saying they have had campaign contact from the challengers.

"In my recent polls in the constituency I have found the Labour share drifting down as the Tory share edges up, suggesting that Labour supporters may be lending their vote to the Conservatives to stop Nigel Farage.

"However, the lead remains well within the margin of error and the seat could still go either way."

A telephone poll by Survation just last week put Ukip ahead of the Conservatives.

It put the UK Independence Party leader Nigel Farage on 39 per cent, ahead of the Tory rival Craig Mackinlay on 30 per cent and Labour’s Will Scobie on 26 per cent.

Polling companies use different methods, which could account for the differences and Ukip sources remain confident that South Thanet can be won.