Maggie the hi-tech lady in helmet and wellies

Mrs Thatcher abandoned her world's best dressed woman image today for white coat, hairnet, hard hat and white wellies.

Feted by a New York poll for her classic, middle-of-the-road elegance last week, she was opening Campbell Foods' new hi-tech plant in Broadway, Salford, part of the Quays development.

The housewife in the Prime Minister emerged as she sampled a plateful of “firecracker chicken,” a prepared frozen dish rich in chillies.

She pronounced it “absolutely lovely.”

And she told an audience of some of the 160 employees: “In my kind of life, which is quite busy from early in the morning to very late at night, we cannot do without very good frozen food, so I have a very personal reason for being here.”

The £12m plant, which makes plated meals ready for the microwave, is Campbell's biggest single investment outside the US for a quarter of a century.

Later Mrs Thatcher took an unscheduled tour round the showcase Quays—and said she liked what she saw.

Accompanied by Trade and Industry Minister Kenneth Clarke, who visited the Quays last week, Mrs Thatcher said she wanted to see for herself “the tremendous development” taking place.

Earlier Mrs Thatcher was greeted with boos, chants and catcalls at Salford University.

About 200 students and other demonstrators gathered behind police barriers to shout protests over education and health cuts when the Prime Minister and Mr Clarke arrived on the campus to open the new £1m information technology building.

By the time Mrs Thatcher left the crowd had doubled and their chants were deafening.

Two eggs were thrown, but missed.

Mrs Thatcher made to wave to the crowd, but one of her detectives pulled down her arm as a precaution.