THESE leopard print ballet pumps may not be most people's choice of footwear for visiting a Breconshire farmyard.

But Theresa May, the Conservative Home Secretary who has become known as the Imelda Marcos of British politics for her vast array of fashionable footwear, maintained her image as she met farmers in a lambing shed at Pencelli near Brecon.

Her pumps with a gold cord knot didn't go unnoticed by her audience, who had come to discuss a spate of agricultural thefts with the cabinet minister responsible for policing in England and Wales.

Llanfrynach farmer Kevin Prothero, told the Tory MP, who was this week tipped by David Cameron as a potential successor as Conservative leader: "Those are definitely the smartest shoes I've seen in a lambing shed."

The Home Secretary's shoe collection has won the approval from the fashion police since she stepped out in a pair of leopard print kitten heels at the Tory party conference in 2002.

The Berkshire MP has said she uses her footwear as an 'icebreaker' in important meetings and even claimed a young woman told her she became interested in politics after seeing coverage of her shoes.

However the high flier has also moaned to the BBC her fondness for fancy footwear, rather than her political achievements, has come to 'define' her in the eyes of the newspapers.

Earlier this year a mystery bidder paid more than £17,500 to the Tory Party at its £3 million Black and White fund raising dinner for a shoe shopping trip with Ms May.

During her visit to Brecon Ms May discussed rural crime with farmers and local business people and also defended cuts to police budgets.

For a full report on the issues raised with the Home Secretary and reaction from election rivals see this week's Brecon & Radnor Express - on sale now