BLACKBURN Rovers fan Jack Straw has issued fellow MPs with a Turf Moor challenge.

The town's MP says he will give two tickets to watch Burnley to anyone proving they mentioned the infamous claim -- that Saddam Hussein could unleash weapons of mass destruction within 45 minutes -- three times or more before the Today programme highlighted the issue on May 29.

Mr Straw spoke out as the row continued between the BBC and the Government over the claim that Downing Street Communications Chief Alastair Campbell inserted the 45-minute reference into the September dossier on the need to tackle Iraqi weapons.

The claim, based on a conversation with an intelligence official angry about the move, was made by BBC defence correspondent Andrew Gilligan on May 29.

The BBC has refused to apologise, despite Burnley fan Mr Campbell's fury.

Mr Straw, MP for Blackburn, once again said that whether or not the 45-minute claim was accurate, it was not central to the reasons for the invasion.

He was responding to Labour left winger Dennis Skinner, back in the Commons from hospital, who told him: "When I voted against the Iraqi war five times, I did not vote because of 45 minutes, the right wing BBC or any of that stuff.

"I voted against the war on principle, because I thought it was wrong to follow that cowboy Bush into invading another country. If that carries on, we do not know where it will stop.

"I have been staggered by the number of times I have read about the 45 minutes since I came out of hospital. It was not the central issue.

"All I would say to you and to the Prime Minister and the Cabinet, is: 'Next time you see that cowboy Bush walking towards you, avert your eyes and walk the other way.'"

Mr Straw replied: "The idea that the argument when we went into action was about the 45-minute claim is utter nonsense.

"I invite every MP, on which ever side of the argument they were, to examine what they said, and if they can point to more than two occasions when they mentioned 45 minutes, I will ensure that they are personally given two tickets to the opening game of Burnley Football Club."