Blairs may be forced to sell their Bristol flats

Cherie and Tony Blair face having to sell the two flats in Bristol which they bought only last month because the controversy surrounding the sale has created a security risk.

Mrs Blair had hoped to buy the two flats, costing £265,000 each, in secret. One was to be a home for the Blairs' oldest child, Euan, when he begins his studies at Bristol University. The other would have been rented out to a tenant, who would have been unaware of the landlord's identity.

However, the furore caused by the involvement of a convicted criminal, Peter Foster, in buying the flats has turned them temporarily into the most famous address in Bristol.

A Downing Street official said: "The question is begged by this coverage as to whether they can keep the flats because of the security business." Losing their properties would be a setback for Mrs Blair, who is reputed to be annoyed that she and her husband do not own a family house, despite a joint income of £500,000.

They sold their former home in Islington after the 1997 election because of the security risk, and have seen its value rise by over £1m. They now have three homes: a main residence above 11 Downing Street, Chequers for the weekends, and a house in Sedgefield, County Durham.