LUTON, England, July 2 (Reuters) - Badly lagging in the

race to win Britain's election, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak went

hunting for votes among whirling robots in a retail distribution

centre on Tuesday, kicking off his first campaign stop of the

day before 5 a.m. (0400 GMT).

Sunak, who has often looked exhausted as he crisscrossed the

country during a six-week campaign, started the penultimate day

before Thursday's vote in a vast Ocado ( OCDGF ) warehouse in Luton, north

of London, watching robots pick items for delivery.

He then donned a neon yellow, high-vis jacket to help staff

pick avocados and other salad items at Ocado ( OCDGF ), one of Britain's

most successful technology businesses. He also met with staff

over a cup of tea.

The prime minister later surprised people at a motorway

service station when he joined a queue in McDonald's to buy

breakfast for journalists following his campaign.

Sunak shocked many in his party and the country when he

called an election several months earlier than expected.

His campaign then got off to an inauspicious start when he

announced the election date under a downpour in Downing Street,

competing to be heard over Labour supporters blaring a pop song

associated with their party's crushing 1997 election victory.

Sunak, a former investment banker, has since travelled

across the country, giving speeches and attending several

hustings a day. He spoke at a rally late on Monday evening and

is scheduled to attend events through Tuesday and into the

evening.

Despite the effort the polls have hardly budged, with Keir

Starmer's opposition Labour Party holding an around 20 point

lead and many voters saying they want change 14 years in power

for Sunak's Conservatives.

(Writing by Kate Holton, Editing by Kylie MacLellan)