BRIAN Haw, the Worcestershire peace protester living in Parliament Square, was quick to update his material after a powder bomb hit Tony Blair on the shoulder in Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday

Within minutes, the ever-topical 55-year-old remarked - through a loudhailer - the missile should have been filled with talcum powder, not cornflour dyed purple.

"Talcum powder for a powder puff Prime Minister," he said.

Sadly, we may not be enjoying Brian's razor-sharp wit for much longer. He was the subject of his own Westminster debate, also on Wednesday, in which MPs complained about the noise, security and unsightliness of his "shanty town" encampment.

Tory Sir George Young said: "This is not a conventional demonstration as we know and accept it - and sometimes enjoy it - but an unacceptable visual and audible intrusion that risks becoming permanent."

He added: "We have not got the balance right. No other democracy would allow this shanty town in the middle of the capital for three years."

In response, Commons deputy leader Phil Woolas hinted action against Brian was under careful consideration.

"I do not believe what we see across the road falls within the definition of a reasonable demonstration," he said.

"It is a scar on one of the most beautiful heritage and architectural sites in the world, let alone in the United Kingdom."