News In Brief

A Tory has admitted throwing a bucket of water over a former colleague in an election day bust up. Mike Keith-Smith, who campaigned for the UK Independence Party, brought the private prosecution after Conservative councillor Frank Worley threw a large bucket of water through his car window. At the time Mr Keith-Smith was shouting four-letter insults against Tory leader John Major through a hand-held megaphone, Portsmouth magistrates court heard. Mr Worley's defence lawyer said the councillor had faced "enormous provocation". This is the latest turn in a series of incidents involving the Conservative Association which saw Keith-Smith, a former member of the Association, campaign under the banner of 'Tory Sleazebusters' during the general election. The UKIP supporter's car had already driven once past Worley's home in Portsmouth, which was being used as a local committee room by the Conservatives, with Keith-Smith using four-letter words over the megaphone in references to Mr Major and Tory candidate David Martin. Worley, a councillor on Portsmouth City Council, pleaded guilty to the assault. The Chairman of the bench said it was a "foolish incident" and gave Worley a conditional discharge for six months.

The Prime Minister has unveiled plans for a powerful watchdog aimed at putting green issues at the heart of Government. Mr Blair's initiative was given a guarded welcome by environmental groups and Opposition MPs, who warned that Ministers must not "backtrack" on election promises to curb global warming at the forthcoming Earth Summit Two in New York. The move came after Mr Blair earlier invited members of Britain's leading environmental and countryside campaign groups to Downing Street for a 30-minute discussion on the direction of Government policy.