Chancellor Rishi Sunak admitted crafts are not his strong point as he tried his hand at bricklaying.

During a visit to Hartlepool ahead of next week’s by-election, Mr Sunak spent time at the Northern School of Art, where a new TV studio is being built on the site of a bus maintenance depot.

He joined bricklayer Danny Honeyman and, wearing a hard hat and protective clothing over his suit, tapped two bricks into place.

His second attempt was not as smooth as the first as Mr Honeyman had to point out that the brick was the wrong way round.

Asked if he was a perfectionist, Mr Sunak laughed and said: “Yes, but definitely not at this.

“This is not my strong point.

“As my kids would say, craft is not daddy’s (strong point).

“I should maybe have quit while I was ahead.”

Earlier, the Chancellor was shown the skills of students on the visual effects and model-making course, who had made him a replica of his Downing Street front door.

The Chancellor painted a number 11 on the model, which was created using a 3D printer from a photo of his famous address.

Mr Sunak was full of praise for the school, saying: “Creative industries are one of the UK’s absolutely fantastic, globally competitive exporting industries, and it is something we should all be proud of.

“You speak to the young people here and you cannot but be filled with confidence and optimism about the future.”