BURNLEY MP Peter PIke recently had a run-in with the security services at Westminster.

He took a party of church people from the constituency, organised by the parish church where he worships, around Westminster.

Having shown them the Houses of Parliament, he took them to the cafe of the Central Methodist Hall opposite the Commons.

There they gave him a new Burnley Football Club scarf to replace the one he's had since the 1960s Clarets' unsuccessful trip to the FA Cup Final.

Mr Pike happily donned the scarf and set off back to his office. However, he was stopped several times by security staff who normally just nod him through.

He said: "Its clear it was the scarf. It shows dramatically how wearing football colours can make a difference to people's attitude to you."

Mischievous Blackburn Rovers supporting Parliamentary colleagues wonder if Mr Pike was stopped on grounds of taste -- not because he was wearing a football scarf but because it was a Burnley FC one.

HYNDBURN MP Greg Pope had to attend the full 11am Mass near his East Lancashire home on Easter Sunday. Normally he attends a shorter service in the evening.

But as the Labour back bencher came out of the church with his family the priest looked at him slightly surprised.

He said: "Ah, Mr Pope, I didn't recognise you in daylight. I didn't think you had the stamina for the full service."

A slightly embarrassed Mr Pope still plans to return to the shorter evening service.

PENDLE MP Gordon Prentice has been unusually quiet recently -- not merely as a mark of respect to the Queen Mother.

He has spent most of the time in Scotland with his own seriously ill, elderly mother. Our thoughts are with him.