HAVING previously been branded a “chicken” over his reluctance to appear in TV election debates, PM David Cameron was accused of “ducking” last night’s leaders’ clash.

As his rival Ed Miliband squared up for a second TV debate with four other party leaders, the Prime Minister was conspicuous by his absence.

“I think if you are applying for the job of prime minister, the very least the British people expect is for you to turn up to the job interview,” said Mr Miliband from the campaign trail in north London yesterday.

“What I’m going to be doing is setting out the big choice facing our country, between a Labour plan to have a recovery for working families across Britain or more of the same from a government that believes that as long as you look after the rich and powerful everyone else will be okay.”

But while the Tory leader shunned his chance in the limelight Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg was feeling left out in the cold.

Mr Clegg, who was campaigning in north-west England, said he requested a place in the debate, but was “denied the opportunity” by broadcasters.

“David Cameron, I know, didn’t want to participate in it, but I don’t see why I should have been denied the opportunity to put the side of the story of what the coalition government has done, even if he didn’t want to,” he said.

Bookies cashed-in on last night’s debate by offering punters a range of bizarre bets.

One was offering 16/1 for Nigel Farage to drink a pint of ale at his podium — and another an apparently unconnected 100/1 bet of a punch-up breaking out.

It was just 6/1 for an audience member to be removed from the studio for heckling.

Victoria Prosser, who stole the show at first leaders’ debate by heckling David Cameron, will give her view on the latest debate in Saturday’s Star.