"Mr Chairman, delegates. I accept your nomination for President of the United States of America."

Mitt Romney has vowed to restore "America's promise" as he accepted the Republican presidential nomination as the party candidate to take on Barack Obama in the forthcoming US presidential election.

At the Republican national convention in Tampa Bay, Florida, Mr Romney made it clear what his main election pledge would be, promising to create 12 million jobs over the next four years to try and bring down America's current 8.3 per cent unemployment rate.

"What is needed in our country today is not complicated or profound. It doesn't take a special government commission to tell us what America needs. What America needs is jobs. Lots of jobs."

Mr Romney criticised Barack Obama's tenure as President so far, saying that change was needed to take America forward.

"I wish President Obama had succeeded because I want America to succeed. But his promises gave way to disappointment and division. This isn't something we have to accept. Now is the moment when we CAN do something. With your help we will do something."

Mr Obama's campaign manager Jim Messina said that the speech offered many personal attacks, but contained little substance.

With Obama and Romney neck and neck in the polls, the two will now battle it out over the next three months to win over the American public ahead of elections in November.

Written and presented by Alfred Joyner