A NEW report called 'Smoking Still Kills' was doing the rounds last week, with lobbying groups and health experts leaping on a fresh chance to put the boot in on the tobacco industry.

No less was that opportunity seized than at County Hall, where excitable Tory Councillor Marcus Hart put his name to a press release demanding a new tax on tobacco firms.

Councillor Hart, the cabinet member for health, used it to lampoon the filthy nicotine habit, warning "there is very strong evidence smoking kills", costing the NHS £2 billion every year.

What the release didn't say was that his council's own local government pension fund still invests megabucks with said tobacco companies - a matter which reached a head last winter when the Faculty for Public Health called it "blood money".

In its last published report the fund had £16 million with British American Tobacco and £6 million with Imperial Tobacco despite the council having a statutory responsibility for public health.

How tenable will this position continue to be?

* WORCESTER City Council's old scheme to ask private companies to sponsor roundabouts was mentioned at a meeting this week, described in rather disastrous terms as it ended the year with a £20,000 shortfall.

Let’s ask the Chuckle Brothers if they’ll sponsor the Ketch.

* NIGEL Huddleston is basking in the glory of being ultimate poster-boy of the new Commons intake, with the Prime Minister describing him as "my new best friend" during his PMQs debut.

Yet the PM isn't just cuddling up to his new chums in open parliament, he's giving them discreet relationship advice behind closed doors too.

At a Downing Street coffee reception for fledgling MPs, David Cameron warned them "one in six" of those elected in 2010 either divorced or split from their partner, saying "parliament ruins relationships".

* WHILE we're talking of Nigel, miraculously he was drawn from a ballot to ask yet another question at PMQs this week - the second time in a row.

Normally MPs, if they are lucky, get drawn twice in an entire year.

Get in next week and we’ll have to dismantle the speaker’s chair for a ‘Nigel’s Throne’ and give him a regular slot at 12.01pm every Wednesday.

* TRANSPORT minister Andrew Jones, under pressure from Robin Walker this week over the £70 million needed to dual Carrington Bridge, has confessed to being a frequent visitor to Worcester, revealing he loves watching the cricket when his beloved Yorkshire roll in.

Will it be 'New Road Wot Won it' for our congested A4440?