The Northern Echo risked the wrath of Downing Street again as it printed another exclusive photo of baby Leo, a new arrival at the Prime Minister’s north-east home.

Cameras flashed, reporters crowded around, eager for a glimpse of the recently-christened youngster.

But this was Leo the owl, little more than a chick, pictured after being rescued by the armed police officers who guard Tony Blair’s constituency home in Trimdon Colliery, County Durham.

The paper ran the article “Here’s a picture of Leo we can publish” as a tongue-in-cheek swipe to a previous spat with No 10, when a photo of the REAL baby Leo hit the front page, taken by a youngster at a fete.

The photo, sent in for the Echo’s schools page last month, led to controversy and a plea for privacy from the PM.

But there was no such danger with this one. The paper reported how Mr Blair was informed about the intruder as he spent the weekend celebrating his baby’s christening.

The Echo’s story said that Pc Kevin Atkinson told reporters how Mr Blair was concerned about the owl’s welfare after it apparently hit overhead wires.

It added: “Asked if the parents’ permission had been sought to take Leo the owl’s picture, a police spokesman said: “They don’t give a hoot.”

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