No10 baffled by Clinton story

Downing Street was today on the defensive over Tony Blair's heart scare after Bill Clinton claimed the prime minister had told him he had long-standing cardiac problems.

Mr Blair's official spokesman said: "The Prime Minister does not have, nor has he ever had, a heart condition."

He added that Mr Blair had never before had the condition for which he was treated under sedation last weekend, and that medical advice was that there is no reason why it should recur.

The spokesman said he was "mystified" about alleged comments on the weekend by Mr Clinton, a long-standing friend of the Prime Minister's.

The former American president reportedly said: "I've known about this for a long time. He told me about it quite a few years ago.

"Basically, the whole problem is brought about by a combination of too little sleep and too much coffee. It's a common condition which doesn't interfere with his work and he has learned to live with it."

Doctors at Hammersmith Hospital gave Mr Blair a cardioversion - electric shock treatment - to regulate his heartbeat last Sunday.