SHE'S fired hard-hitting questions at Tony Blair and Michael Howard and had the national headlines broadcast live from her front garden.

It's not just top TV newsreaders Kirsty Wark or Kirsty Young who rub shoulders with political heavyweights during this election.

York teacher Anne Clark is enjoying a taste of the political highlife after being selected for ITV's ballot box jury.

In the space of a few days she has quizzed Tony Blair about his handling of the Iraq war and university fees, taken Michael Howard to task over health service privatisation and given Charles Kennedy a grilling over his party's chances of success.

The floating voter has also had the ITN news team broadcast an evening bulletin live from her house, and has been handed the chance to put UKIP and BNP leaders under the spotlight.

Mrs Clark, who lives at Naburn, said the experience had been enthralling.

The 47-year-old said: "I'm not apathetic, but I've never been hugely interested in politics. It has been absolutely fascinating finding out more information.

"I've read things like the Butler Report (into pre-war intelligence on Iraq), that I would never have looked at before."

Mrs Clark, a married mother-of-three, teaches youngsters with special needs at homes and nurseries across York.

She was selected after a researcher called at her house earlier this month on the hunt for undecided voters. The researcher took her details and they eventually ended up in the hands of producers at ITN.

"Everything just snowballed," she said. "I never expected to be chosen."

In next to no time, anchorman Mark Austin was broadcasting the news from her Naburn home, transformed into a makeshift studio.

"He presented it from my front lawn then cut to London," she recalled. "Mark Austin walked through the house with my family sitting there. There were leads and cables everywhere and a big satellite dish outside."

One highlight saw her press Tony Blair on Iraq in true Jeremy Paxman style.

She said Mr Blair said sorry for intelligence information used after the York teacher called for an apology from him for "misleading the country" about weapons of mass destruction.

Mrs Clark admitted she is still making her mind up about who to vote for in the Selby seat on May 5.

But her whirlwind experience filming jury questions in London left her bowled over by all the political leaders.

"I was incredibly impressed by all of them," she said. "What struck me was their professionalism and ability to cope with the barrage of questions they get thrown at them."

The views of the jury have appeared on ITV news at 6.30pm for the last three nights, although the 12 may get back together for an election night special.

Updated: 10:33 Thursday, April 28, 2005