THE Liberal Democrat leader, Mr Paddy Ashdown, issued libel proceedings yesterday - as warnings that he was about to fall victim to a "smear" campaign took further shape.
The promised legal proceedings followed closely a firebomb attack on Mr Ashdown's car last Friday - the latest in a series of incidents which have been linked to the MP's high profile campaign against racist attacks in his Yeovil constituency.
However, speaking in Yeovil yesterday, Mr Ashdown said he was commencing proceedings against the Bristol based Western Daily Press, following the publication of what he branded an utterly disgraceful article" making allegations about his personal life.
Last night the paper apologised for publishing allegations about the personal life of Mr Ashdown It said the claims were "completely untrue".
Before that a number of other British newspapers reported police fears that malicious allegations concerning a massage parlour close to the Liberal Democrat headquarters in Yeovil might be made under cover of the legal protection of court proceedings later this week.
One weekend report said the Liberal Democrat leader was the victim of "a terrifying vendetta over the closure of a brothel" - shut down after a campaign by fellow party members in his constituency.
Mr Ashdown has reportedly been offered police protection, and has had emergency "panic" buttons installed at his Somerset home, following a series of threats made against him.
It is not yet known if Mr Ashdown will be required to attend as a witness at the committal proceedings at Yeovil Magistrates Court on Thursday and Friday in the case of a man alleged to have threatened him with a knife in the town centre last November.
Mr Ashdown said he would appear in court if required.
However, refusing to discuss details of the allegations made, Mr Ashdown said these were matters which had to be the subject of court proceedings, and that he had no intention of allowing anything to happen which diminished the capacity of the court to undertake its normal course of action.
The stern Daily Press said it would today tell its readers: "Yesterday morning we published details of allegations made against the Rt Hon Paddy Ashdown MP by a Mr Peter Stoodley and an unnamed woman."
We apologise unreservedly for doing so and accept that they were completely untrue. If people tend to think there is no smoke without fire, we are happy to confirm that this is the exception."