Election '97: Ashdown charm fails to win Jack Russell's vote

Paddy Ashdown's leisurely polling day was disrupted by a small female Jack Russell who seemed to be less than impressed by the Liberal Democrat leader.

When Mr Ashdown sought to work his electoral magic on the little mite as he arrived at the polling station in Norton sub Hamdon, in Somerset, the four-year-old bitch lunged at him. Mr Ashdown's own dog, Lukus, proved unable to protect his master.

The aggressive terrier was in the arms of a villager, Prue Biddle, who said her pet was not dangerous and usually growled at people. Mr Ashdown's aides were at pains to point out, that contrary to some reports, the Liberal Democrat leader was not bitten by the animal.

The polling station was at the Westland helicopter social club just a few hundred yards away from Mr Ashdown's home, a small, biscuit-coloured terraced cottage where he lives with his wife, Jane.

The couple yesterday cast a proxy vote for their 31-year-old daughter who lives in France and who two weeks ago produced their first grandchild, called Mathias.

Mr Ashdown's daughter sent him a polling-day fax from France saying that yesterday the French were celebrating St Jeremy's Day. Mr Ashdown pointed out that his real name was Jeremy; he was given the name Paddy by contemporaries at his fee-paying school because of his Irish accent. His father farmed in Ulster.

On the ballot form in his Yeovil constituency, the Liberal Democrat leader was styled "John Jeremy Durham Ashdown (commonly known as Paddy)."

Having left the polling booth, Mr Ashdown was asked which candidate he had opted for. He said: "I never tell people which way I have voted."

Mr Ashdown, who has a notional 14.8 per cent majority over his nearest - Tory - rival, spent most of yesterday touring polling booths in Yeovil, Chard and Ilminster in blazing sunshine. He has declared his confidence that his party has secured a historic breakthrough, especially in the West Country.

After addressing politics students at a sixth-form college in Taunton and eating a private dinner with family and friends, he watched the exit polls on television before making his way to the count.

The result was expected at around 2am this morning and then the Liberal Democrat leader was scheduled to be driven back to London to the party headquarters by officers of the Special Branch at 3am. Last night, the Ashdowns' local pub served free election-night cocktails called Jane, Norma and Cherie, after the wives of the three main party leaders.

Mrs Ashdown said that she did not know what went into the cocktails, only that the beverage named after her was a bright Liberal Democrat yellow.