A MAN accused of dropping an apple core in the street hit out at police last night after being held in a cell for 18 hours. Plumber Keith Hirst, 54, who has a heart condition, was locked up after he refused to accept a £50 on-the-spot fine from a police community support officer. “The way I was treated you would have thought I had robbed a bank,” he said. Mr Hirst was arrested after he refused to give his name and address. He was then taken to a police station, where he had his DNA and fingerprints taken. Police were given the power to take DNA samples from suspects in 2003. But the then Lord Chancellor, Lord Falconer, made clear at the time that the power should be used only for serious offences. Mr Hirst was held during a lunchtime trip to shops in Swinton, Greater Manchester. He was approached by the cycle-riding support officer, who he said was wearing a fluorescent jacket, big sunglasses and a baseball cap and carrying a wad of tickets and a pen. Mr Hirst, who has had heart surgery and is unable to work, told the officer he was not responsible for dropping the apple core and went into a chemist to buy medication for his disabled wife. He then claims he emerged to discover five uniformed officers had arrived to arrest him. He was held at Swinton police station and taken to court the next day handcuffed to a security guard. He appeared before Salford magistrates charged with dropping litter and obstructing a police officer. He denied both charges, and the obstruction charge has since been dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service. The litter charge is scheduled to go to trial before a district judge in July. Senior officers yesterday defended the police action and said : “We obviously do not want to arrest people for dropping litter. This man had a terrible attitude and left us with no choice because he refused to give his details.” Superintendent Ian Palmer, of Greater Manchester police, said: "We work closely with the city council and other partners and take a firm stance against all environmental crime."

LABOUR’S new green targets will cost every family in Britain more than £3,000, a Government dossier has warned.

Snipe, snarl, snigger: Lord Levy says Tony doesn't think Gordon can win, and insinuates that the Blairs were in it for money and fame (“Look at what they've done since he's stopped being Prime Minister and answer the question yourself”). Cherie says Levy “knows nothing” and that weird Gordon could win, provided genius Tony advises him. She also lets it be leaked that she toned down her criticisms of Mr Brown so that, whenever she does stick the knife in, we know to add 30 per cent. Meanwhile, John Prescott brags that he called Tony “a little shit” and urged him to sack Gordon,...And the memoirs must be served quick and hot, before poor Mr Brown implodes and everyone's baying for pictures of little Milibands.

The Duke of Edinburgh has publicly challenged the benefits of organic farming, one of the Prince of Wales's greatest passions. In a television interview with Sir Trevor McDonald on a tour of the Queen's Sandringham estate, the Duke talks openly about conservation, animal welfare and soaring food prices. "The food prices are going up – everyone thinks it's to do with not enough food, but it's really that demand is too great, too many people,'' he said. The two-part documentary is to be screened on Monday at 9pm on ITV1. and concludes at the same time on Tuesday.

Allies of Alexander's are blunt. "Gordon can't make a decision and people have just got so fed up with it. This was just another decision he wasn't willing to make. She basically decided, well f*** you, I've got to do something,"