Sedgefield had never seen anything like it. Leo Blair was the centre of attention as crowds gathered outside St John Fisher RC Church in the village.

In between straining for a sight of two-month-old Leo, there were, however, plenty of things to keep the locals occupied.

The Lord Chancellor Lord Irvine was said to have popped in for a pint at the village's Black Lion pub.

National news reporters jostled with the crowd, as security guards looked on.

Inside, Father John Caden and members of Carmel School choir prepared for the Baptismal Mass.

Crowds of well-wishers had gathered outside before the start of the service and were rewarded when the Blairs swept into view. In the crowd was pensioner Jennie Lyle, 78, from Sedgefield, who admitted a tear came to her eye.

Her daughter, Dorothy, said: "Mum shouted to Mr Blair and he came and shook hands with her, and she told him good luck."

Well-wisher Pauline Cook said: "I wanted to see them all and particularly the baby. His father is such a nice man, so approachable, and he used to share my husband's hymn book in church."

As the service drew on, people peered from windows and stood outside shops, not minding the intermittent rain.

To cap it all, a streaker punctured the atmosphere with a ten-yard dash.

Eventually, the congregation emerged, among them Tony Booth, Cherie Blair's father, who shared a joke with the crowd.

Leo, clad in a white christening shawl, was shown to the crowd by his beaming mother and father.

Next stop was the reception, held in a restaurant yards from the church.

The final word went to Matthew Gouldburn, four, who gave flowers to Cherie Blair and said hello to Leo.

His mother, Tracey, landlady of the Cross Hill Hotel, said: "He loves Tony Blair. Whenever he is on television he says 'Look, there's Tony Blair'."