CANNABIS FIND AT JOHN REID'S HOME

JOHN Reid became the fourth cabinet minister in a week to face
embarrassment yesterday after a piece of cannabis resin was found
inside his Scottish constituency home.

Police discovered the Class C drug in a guest room of the Defence
Secretary's detached bungalow in Lanarkshire during a routine
security sweep of the property by Special Branch officers from
Strathclyde Police.

It is believed sniffer dogs used to check the building ahead of
visits by the MP for Airdrie and Shotts detected a "minuscule" amount
of the drug weighing less than a gram and with a street value of 85
pence.

Yesterday Reid said he had no idea where the drug had come from and
Strathclyde Police confirmed they would not be bringing any criminal
charges in relation to the discovery. They also insisted they had not
given the Cabinet minister any special treatment.

The revelation follows the difficulties faced last week by three of
Reid's Cabinet colleagues, Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott, Home
Secretary Charles Clarke and Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt.

Sources close to Reid yesterday said the Defence Secretary was not in
the house when the cannabis, which is believed to be up to 20 years
old, was found.

Initially it was thought that the cannabis may have been left by a
previous owner, but it later emerged that Reid and his family moved
into the bungalow just after it was built.

In a statement, Reid said: "I can confirm that a minuscule amount of
cannabis resin was found in the guest room of my home in Scotland
last week by police carrying out a security check. I am told that it
weighed a fraction of a gram, was worth around 85 pence and could be
years old.

"I have no idea where it came from, or when. There is absolutely no
suggestion that this in any way involves me or members of my family
and both I and the Strathclyde Police regard the matter as closed."