Too many students spoil it for Cook

Former foreign secretary Robin Cook has protested at plans to house students in a flat in the tenement block where he lives, it emerged today.

Mr Cook, MP for Livingston, has lived on and off at the flat in Merchiston Crescent, Edinburgh, for six years and is worried that the proposed student influx could pose a security risk.

He also says the shift could disrupt the peace and quiet of the block, where he does most of his writing.

In a letter to Edinburgh council, Mr Cook says it is vital his home is secure - and worries that the students' flat may have "a rapid rate of turnover".

He adds: "Although I am no longer in government, I remain very prominent in public life, and it is important for me that my home base is a place of privacy where I am secure from any form of confrontation."

The proposed change in the flats' licensed use will be considered by the council on Friday.