Republican George W Bush has gained a badly-needed boost to his presidential ambitions by winning the Delaware primary.

The victory in the tiny north-eastern US state follows the Texas governor's surprise defeat by Arizona Senator John McCain in New Hampshire.

"I think this is a piece of good news that will buoy our supporters," said Mr Bush.

Tycoon Steve Forbes is now facing renewed pressure to quit the race for the Republican presidential nomination after finishing third in a state that he won in 1996.

The vote was regarded as something of a sideshow because Mr McCain had not campaigned in Delaware.

Delaware also only sends 12 delegates to the party conference where the Republican nominee will be elected.

Mr McCain's poll ratings have been steadily rising since his victory in the first primary of the 2000 campaign.

"I think there are some good signs for us, but I think we still have a long, long way to go. I'm still the underdog," he said.

But Mr McCain skipped campaigning in Delaware to concentrate his efforts on the critical South Carolina primary on 19 February.

With all 28 precincts reporting, Mr Bush had 51% of the vote and Mr McCain 25%.

Democrats voted on Saturday in Delaware, giving Vice President Al Gore an easy victory over Bill Bradley.

Mr Bush's victory came after he and Mr McCain criticised each other in TV advertisements and statements throughout Tuesday.

The Texas governor's campaign accused his rival of hypocrisy on the issue of campaign finance reform.

Mr McCain's ads alleged that his rival "twists the truth like Clinton".