Berlin or bust for German politician Lengsfeld

German politician Vera Lengsfeld has unveiled an unusual weapon in her fight to be elected to parliament - her ample bosom.

The would-be parliamentarian has released a controversial campaign poster featuring her and her party leader Angela Merkel sporting low cut dresses that show off their cleavages accompanied by the slogan "We have more to offer".

Lengsfeld is pictured in a dress with a plunging neckline alongside a shot of Merkel, the German Chancellor, in an evening gown at the 2008 opening of Oslo's opera house.

The 57-year-old mother of three's startling campaign is not endorsed by her family-oriented Christian Democrat (CDU) party, but she claims it has had a big impact on visitors to her website, telling the BBC that it received more than 30,000 hits in one day after the posters went up.

"The poster is the eye catcher," she said. "But behind the picture is the programme."

Although Merkel has declined to comment on the poster Lengsfeld said: "The Chancellor would never have allowed me to do this, otherwise everyone would have wanted to do it. I am sure

Mrs Merkel is smiling about it, she's got a sense of humour after all."

Critics say that the tactic of deploying cleavage is demeaning, although others think the posters have livened up an otherwise dull campaign.

Lengsfeld is hoping to win a seat in Germany's general election on September 27. It is not the first time that Lengsfeld has caused a stir in political circles - like Merkel she grew up behind the Berlin Wall in East Germany where she was a dissident and was once jailed by the Stasi.