FOREIGN Secretary Jack Straw is being sued for negligence by one of his own constituents, the Lancashire Evening Telegraph can reveal.

Along with Blackburn with Darwen Council, the Blackburn MP has had court papers served against him by the unnamed Blackburn resident.

Mr Straw yesterday secured funding from Parliament to cover his legal costs. He will be called to Blackburn County Court, in Victoria Street, Blackburn, on September 3, along with council chiefs.

The authority today revealed the case had arisen as a result of dissatisfaction at the handling of a neighbour nuisance complaint involving the plaintiff, which occurred in December.

As Mr Straw and the council employ the staff, the plaintiff feels they were neglegent and are therefore liable for any legal action brought against them.

Blackburn with Darwen chief executive Phil Watson today said the council had been advised to defend the case. Mr Straw also said he would be defending it.

The move to pay for his legal costs follows a similar procedure used by Mid-Worcestershire Tory MP Peter Luff, when he was sued for libel by a prisoner last year. In May 2000, the Commons agreed to pay his legal costs and set up an insurance scheme to protect MPs in similar situations in the future.

The insurance scheme has not yet been launched. A motion was put to Parliament yesterday asking for Mr Straw's legal costs to be covered.

He said: "This motion is the result of legal action by a constituent. In an increasingly litigious age, this is one of the risks you face as an MP. The case relates to December last year.

"Blackburn Council is the first defendant and I am the second. The action will be defended. It relates to the actions of council employees and a member of my staff who has since left me for entirely unrelated reasons. Employers are legally responsible for the actions of employees."

MPs authorised the provision of money to pay his legal costs.

Mr Straw refused to give further details of the case, while council chief executive Phil Watson declined to give details on which departments were involved.

He said: "A local resident has commenced legal proceedings against the Rt. Hon. Jack Straw MP and the council. The claim arises from a series of events in connection with a neighbour dispute."