Either way it was a canny move and a choice piece of parliamentary acting to boot

Either way it was a canny move, and a choice piece of parliamentary acting to boot.. With a self-deprecating smile he confessed that "it's at moments like this that I look along the first bench in search of inspiration and don't find any".Some of my more cynical colleagues took the view that this was a set- up, others that it was an inspired improvisation on Mr Blair's part, ready to sacrifice a backbench pawn to advance his cause. This seemed to strike several MPs as ludicrous - if chess was a sport then could crosswords be far behind? As Mr Blair balanced the rising hilarity of backbenchers against the guileless sincerity of Ms Atkins he appeared to make a decision to go with the majority. Mr Blair answered in the tone of sorrowing incredulity with which he greets almost all of Mr Benn's interventions these days.As any good performer knows, however, a characterisation needs modulation if it is not to become dull and Mr Blair spotted the opportunity for some light relief, after an earnest request from Charlotte Atkins that he officially recognise chess as a sport. Labour backbenchers growled defensively, though not quite as loud as they did when Tony Benn rose to express the view that the continued bombing of Serbia amounted to "a war crime in itself". But he has said these things before and what he needs to add some vinegar to the lines, and get the upper circle on his side, is a villain.Alan Clark obliged first yesterday, shouting out "absolute nonsense" as Mr Blair repeated his insistence that "every single precaution" had been taken to prevent civilian casualties. His problem, dramatically speaking, is that superlatives suffer from a law of diminishing returns: the attack would be pressed home with "utmost vigour", he told MPs yesterday; Nato was "utterly united" and to do nothing in the face of atrocity would be "the ultimate outrage".

Instead the Prime Minister concentrated on adding further grace notes to his title role in the international co-production, Onward Christian Soldier. It was as if a pantomime horse had entered the ring at Hickstead, its rider trying to maintain the pretence of normality, despite the fact that the back half of his mount was biting the front half's buttocks.In any other circumstances Mr Hague's progress would have received a running commentary from the Prime Ministerial public address system - but yesterday Mr Blair hardly bothered to exploit his discomfiture, limiting himself to a couple of passing gibes about the mercurial nature of Conservative party policy. He valiantly pressed on - surely this was just business as usual. Sorry? What was that about a crisis? Good Lord no! Whatever makes you say that? I couldn't help but feel a certain admiration for Mr Hague's grit: we all act in our daily lives, of course, pretending to he happier or bolder than we actually feel, but few of us have to do it with such a large audience or in the teeth of open mockery of our performance.Some 30 minutes earlier Mr Hague had risen to put his first question to the sound of laughter, a collective chortle that was designed to let Mr Hague know his embarrassments would be the unspoken theme of the day. Address me now, it suggested, and I will take a few seconds to acknowledge your presence, so engrossed am I by this fascinating discourse. Mr Hague wore that look you adopt when you know that people are looking at you and you wish to appear entirely unconscious of their gaze His face radiated thoughtful assurance and command. AT THE end of Prime Minister's Question Time I looked down on the chief supporting actor, his brow furrowed as he leant across to engage David Willetts in earnest conversation.

Although the premises are now being searched, so far no weapons have been recovered.". The statement added: "Nobody was injured, neither police nor suspect, no shots were fired."Police entered the premises after reports of the sound of an explosion and shots inside the premises. Neighbours reported hearing shots.A family of three had been trapped in the flat above during the siege, but were unharmed.Police stated that the suspect was detained at 8.55pm, when armed police went into an address in Shaftesbury Avenue. At one point he fired a rifle at police officers.The pursuit ended in Shaftesbury Avenue, Feltham, when the man took refuge in a house, prompting a lengthy stand-off.

He sped off before abandoning the car and then stealing a BMW at gunpoint. West London was brought to a standstill after he led police on a chase through Hounslow, Twickenham and Feltham. The man fired a handgun at officers when they stopped his Vauxhall Cavalier to question him about an expired tax disc. A GUNMAN who held armed police at bay for three hours after leading them on a chase through west London was last night arrested following a siege. Police are to examine the estate agent's files and are expected to question some of those who viewed the house.Meanwhile, police are preparing to release an e-fit of the suspect seen near Ms Dando's Fulham home on the day of the shooting.Last night's edition of the television programme Crimewatch File, to which Ms Dando contributed, was postponed.. It emerged yesterday that Ms Dando's house in Fulham, west London, had recently been sold and that dozens of people had probably been shown around the property in recent months. It is a line of inquiry being investigated by the Jill Dando investigation team."Detectives are also investigating whether Ms Dando's killer had tricked his way into her home weeks earlier. However it is believed from sources that the threat was directed against Tony Hall, the head of BBC News. Police are taking the threat seriously, although there is no way of knowing if they were made by Ms Dando's killer or anyone linked with him.Two or three calls have been received by the BBC switchboard since Ms Dando's death, mentioning Tony Hall by name.Mr Hall, a contender for the post of BBC director-general, does not have a high public profile but was one of the first to pay tribute to Ms Dando after her murder on Monday.A BBC spokesman said last night: "It is not unusual for there to be threats to presenters or people in the BBC."We obviously take all of them seriously, but we are not prepared to discuss any detail or any security arrangements."Mr Hall was supposed to have attended last night's Sony Radio awards, but was advised to stay away by police.The revelation of the threat to Mr Hall will fuel the theory that a Serbian faction seeking revenge for Nato's bombing of Serb media could be behind Ms Dando's murder.She led a televised appeal for Kosovan refugees recently.Mr Hall is ultimately responsible for all journalists working in radio and television news for the domestic BBC.A Scotland Yard spokesman said: "We can confirm that a threatening call was received by the BBC switchboard yesterday morning by an anonymous male We are not prepared to discuss it further.

Police said that the call to the BBC switchboard was anonymous. SCOTLAND YARD last night put a senior BBC executive under protective custody after the corporation received a death threat purportedly from a Serbian terrorist group which claimed responsibility for the murder of Jill Dando. A hotline for anxious patients has been set up; the number is 01823-343798.. In addition, the records of 2,200 people seen by Mr Upton as outpatients over the past year are to be reviewed.About 700 patients have so far been checked and early indications are that one in 10 will need further tests.