One of Winston Churchill's wartime drivers was invited back to Downing Street when he bumped into the Prime Minister yesterday.

Stanley Carrick, 85, was having a blood test as the Prime Minister officially opened the new West Cornforth Medical Centre in County Durham.

The pensioner, who published his memoirs last year, transported Churchill and several other VIP visitors to dozens of top level meetings around London during the Second World War.

Mr Blair said it was "amazing" to meet Mr Carrick and chatted to him about his four-year role as a chauffeur.

He was interested to hear that Churchill's Humber cars were armoured - like his own modern day Jaguar.

Mr Carrick said it was nice to met Mr Blair at last. He had a look around Downing Street as an 80th birthday treat, but the Prime Minister was in the North-East at the time.

"Anytime you want to come down again, I'll make sure I'm in," Mr Blair promised him.

In his book, Mr Carrick told how he became a particular favourite of Mrs Churchill and was known by his colleagues as her "blue-eyed boy".