CONSERVATIVE leader David Cameron made up ground on rival Nick Clegg following last night's second leaders' debate, according to pollsters.

Of five polls taken following the debate, screened on Sky News, Mr Cameron was judged to have come out on top in two polls.

Mr Clegg, the surprise 'winner' of last week's first debate, won three.

But taking an average puts Mr Cameron narrowly behind Mr Clegg by less than one per cent.

Last night's debate in Bristol showed all three men far more willing to be aggressive against their opponents than in the first event.

The first poll to come out, a YouGov one for The Sun, had Mr Cameron as the victor with 36 per cent, Mr Clegg scoring 32 per cent and the Prime Minister trailing three percentage points further back.

However the survey taken by ComRes for ITV gave Mr Clegg top ranking on 33 per cent with Mr Cameron and Mr Brown - who the Liberal Democrat leader continued his labelling as being heads of the 'old-style parties' - tied on 30 per cent.

It was a similar outcome in a Guardian/ICM poll: Mr Clegg winning 33 per cent and his rivals tied on 29 per cent.

And Mr Clegg made it a hat-trick of results by again polling 33 per cent backing in an Angus Reid poll. Witney MP Mr Cameron on 32 per cent and Mr Brown on 23 per cent.

There was better news for Mr Cameron in the Times/Populus poll. He scored the biggest win with 37 per cent, while Mr Clegg was one point behind and Mr Brown again in last on 26 per cent.

Averaging out the result leaves Mr Clegg on 33.4 per cent, Mr Cameron on 32.8 per cent and Mr Brown on 27.4 per cent.

oxfordmail.co.uk will be conducting its own poll today on who our readers thought won the debate.