Bob Russell slams door damage claims

Over the weekend there were reports that a confrontation between Nick Clegg and Bob Russell had left a Commons door hanging off its hinges. The Daily Mail, for instance, said:

Colchester MP Bob Russell’s fury over the Coalition’s housing benefit cuts boiled over at a stormy private meeting with the Deputy Prime Minister.

To the astonishment of fellow Lib Dem MPs, it ended with Mr Russell storming out and slamming the Commons’ committee room door behind him.

Witnesses said last night: ‘He took the door off its hinges.’

But today Bob told the Colchester Daily Gazette that the story is "complete rubbish":

“I only wish I could take a door off its hinges at my age. It really is laughable.

“It is a Westminster joke, it simply is not true.

“It’s no secret the Deputy Prime Minister and I have differences of opinions about benefits and I am concerned the cuts to housing benefit will lead to child poverty, but the story is pure fabrication.”

All of which means that my favourite part of the Mail story - Mike Hancock coming back early the next morning to repair the door before anyone noticed - is not true.

Shame. I've got this dripping tap I hoped he would be able to help me with.