Blair's whisky cures tooth pain

Re-published from the BBC News website:  Click here for original story

A bottle of House of Commons whisky signed by Tony Blair and intended for a charity auction was accidentally opened and used as a toothache cure.

Roger and Jackie Reed from Ash, Somerset, were staying with friends when Mr Reed woke with toothache.

He took a swig from the bottle but later discovered he had broken the seal on the bottle intended for auction.

In a panic the Reeds contacted their MP David Heath who managed to get a new bottle signed by Gordon Brown.

'Friendship saved'

The Liberal Democrat MP for Somerton and Frome said: "I knew that Mrs Reed's story was too good to have been made-up and it did bring a smile to my face and that of my staff.

"Now that Tony Blair is no longer an MP, it was impossible to get him to sign a replacement. The next best thing, however, was to get the current prime minister to sign one."

Mrs Reed said she and her husband were "mortified" by what had happened.

"We're just so grateful that David was able to get Gordon Brown to sign a bottle. He may just have saved a 35-year old friendship".