Liberal Democrats leader Sir Ed Davey threw himself into the General Election campaign in more ways than one, attempting a whole range of action-packed stunts designed to get the voting public’s attention.

The 58-year-old brought some light relief to an otherwise intense pre-election period, causing a splash paddleboarding and surfing, and entertaining onlookers with a bungee jump while urging voters to take a similar “leap of faith” and back his party at the ballot box.

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey eats ice cream on the promenade in Eastbourne, East Sussex
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey made an early campaign visit to Eastbourne, East Sussex, where he ate an ice cream on the promenade (Aaron Chown/PA)
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey stands outside his party's election bus showered in confetti
The campaign trail then took him to Whittlesford in Cambridge where he launched the party’s battlebus (Jacob King/PA)
Liberal Democrat Leader Sir Ed Davey falls into the water while paddleboarding on Lake Windermere
The 58-year-old fell in the water while paddleboarding on Lake Windermere as he outlined his party’s plan to tackle the sewage crisis … (Peter Byrne/PA)
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey riding a bike in Knighton, Wales
… and careered down the High Street hill in Knighton on a bike to launch the party’s campaign in Wales (Jacob King/PA)
Liberal Democrats leader Sir Ed Davey taking part in a baking lesson with primary school students
Taking a more sedentary approach, Sir Ed joined primary school students in Hertfordshire  in a baking lesson (Yui Mok/PA)
Liberal Democrats leader Sir Ed Davey crawling under netting on an assault course
Before getting going again in early June with an assault course attempt in Wadhurst, Kent (Gareth Fuller/PA)
Liberal Democrats leader Sir Ed Davey taking part in wheelbarrow racing
This was followed later in the month by wheelbarrow racing at Huish Park, home of Yeovil Town Football Club in Somerset (Will Durrant/PA)
Liberal Democrats leader Sir Ed Davey plays with a frisbee
Sir Ed continued his eye-catching campaign playing frisbee during a visit to Crowd Hill Farm, in Hampshire … (Andrew Matthews/PA)
Liberal Democrats leader Sir Ed Davey shakes hands with a woman worker
… and meeting staff at the Richard James Hub in London (Lucy North/PA)
Liberal Democrats leader Sir Ed Davey with an insect hotel during a visit to gardens in Sheffield
The great outdoors beckoned on June 20 when Sir Ed helped out at Whinfell Quarry Gardens in Sheffield (Danny Lawson/PA)
Liberal Democrats leader Sir Ed Davey drawing a charcoal-on-pastel artwork
He then demonstrated his creative side drawing a charcoal-on-pastel artwork at Harrogate College in Yorkshire … (Danny Lawson/PA)
Liberal Democrats leader Sir Ed Davey washes an ambulance
… before attempting something altogether more prosaic, washing an ambulance during a visit to Wimbledon Ambulance Station in south-west London (Jeff Moore/PA)
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey takes part in paddleboard yoga
Paddleboard yoga in Streatley, Berkshire, presented a challenge … (Jonathan Brady/PA)
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey painting pottery
… while pot-painting at Vale House, Marple Bridge, in Greater Manchester proved very entertaining (Peter Byrne/PA)
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey taking part in a bungee jump
In peak campaign mode, Sir Ed took part in a bungee jump at Eastbourne Borough Football Club, East Sussex (Gareth Fuller/PA)
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey falls off a surfboard
And inevitably fell from a surfboard during a visit to the Big Blue Surf School in Bude, Cornwall (Matt Keeble/PA)