Kennedy 'spoken to over smoking'

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British Transport Police were called after a complaint that a passenger on board the 1105 London Paddington to Plymouth train was having a cigarette despite the ban on smoking in public places which came into force this week.

A BTP spokesman said "a man" had been spoken to at the station. Officers met the train at Plymouth where he was spoken to and the matter was dealt with "informally".

Mr Kennedy, who came under pressure over his drinking while leader, voted in favour of the smoking ban last year.

As party leader he was famed for his smoking, even allowing people to light up on his plane during the 2001 General Election campaign. Over Christmas 2004 he made a New Year resolution for 2005 to give up smoking.

The following April he admitted he was still smoking but that it had come down "drastically" since the start of the year.

Speaking before the birth of his son, he said: "I am determined that it is going to be phased out altogether - particularly since the arrival of the new one."

The BTP spokesman said: "We were called to the 1105 Paddington to Plymouth train to a report that there was a man on board who was smoking. The train was met and he was spoken to."

It is understood he told officers that he believed he was not breaching the ban because he was smoking out of the window but was told this was not the case.

A Liberal Democrat spokesman declined to comment, saying it was a "private matter".