Tony Blair's son arrested by police

Prime Minister Tony Blair's 16-year-old son Euan was arrested last night for being drunk and incapable.

Prime Minister Tony Blair's 16-year-old son Euan was arrested last night for being drunk and incapable.

The teenager was found by police officers in Leicester Square, in the heart of London's West End, on his own at about 11pm.

An ambulance was called because officers were concerned about his condition, but the boy was not taken to hospital.

Instead, Euan was taken to Charing Cross police station where officers established he was Mr Blair's oldest son.

The teenager was released without charge and driven home in the early hours of this morning. He was said to be unhurt.

A Scotland Yard spokesman confirmed a 16-year-old youth was arrested by officers for being drunk and incapable in Leicester Square and later released without charge.

The affair will be a huge embarrassment for Mr Blair, coming days after his call for police to be given powers to levy on-the-spot fines on drunken yobs.

An ambulance was called to Leicester Square at 11pm last night after a Pc came across a teenager in a "drunk and incapable" state, police said.

But paramedics decided there was no need for first aid or hospital treatment and the youth was taken to a nearby police station.

A Scotland Yard spokeswoman said: "A male youth was arrested at 23.00 last night in Leicester Square for being drunk and incapable.

"Police were not responding to a call regarding the person, an officer on patrol just came upon him."

The ambulance was called because the officer was concerned for the young man's well-being, she added.

"He was taken to Charing Cross police station and was released with no further action at one o'clock this morning."

She would not discuss if the teenager's parents attended the police station or his exact age.

Neither could she confirm if he was with other people or alone when he was arrested.

"The options are now that he could be brought back and issued with a formal warning or he could be cautioned," said the Yard spokeswoman.

"Both of those are options open to police but at this time neither of them have happened."

Political opponents will shrink from making any capital over the family incident, but it caps a series of disasters for Mr Blair in recent days, culminating in his mauling in the Commons yesterday over the very issue of how police deal with drunken behaviour.

Mr Blair and his wife Cherie have gone to great lengths to protect the privacy of their children - Euan, Nicky, 14, Kathryn, 12, and baby Leo.

But it understood Mr Blair accepts in principle that news of Euan's arrest would have to be disclosed.

The Press Complaints Commission, the watchdog which supervises press conduct, also indicated it was satisfied the matter should be reported.

Lord Wakeham said in a statement: "The incident involving Euan Blair inevitably raises questions about the application of the editors' code of practice in relation to it.

"As Euan is over 16 and was not at school at the time of the incident there is no restriction in the code on the use of photographs of him relating to the incident or reports about the incident itself, as the Prime Minister and Mrs Blair themselves recognise.

"However, I am sure that on the wider front, all editors will take into account the Prime Minister and Mrs Blair's clear commitment to do all they can to protect the privacy of their children and will bear in mind the general provisions in the code on the reporting of private lives of children, and family life."