Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg has visited Bristol to meet party activists and listen to concerns about the recession.

Liberal Democrat councillors are much the largest political grouping on Bristol City Council.

Mr Clegg met councillors and candidates at the Council House, on College Green, yesterday to hear their plans for fighting next spring's local elections, in which they want to gain an overall majority and wrest control of the hung council from Labour. The Lib Dem leader, who gave a talk on foreign affairs at Bristol University last night, earlier met people in Horfield to hear their views on the credit crunch.

Mr Clegg also met pensioners Bob and Audrey Stacey at their home in Howard Road, Henleaze, to talk about fuel bills – and share notes on fighting elections.

Mr Stacey, now 82, was Liberal challenger in Bristol West against Conservative MP Robert Cooke four times in the 1960s and 1970s.