Harold Elletson

Elletson unsuccessfully contested Burnley for the Conservative Party in the 1987 general election, before becoming Member of Parliament (MP) for Blackpool North in 1992.

However, in his 1997 bid for re-election in the new Blackpool North and Fleetwood constituency, he lost to Labour's Joan Humble by 8,946 votes.

MI6 received special sanction from the Prime Minister (John Major) for Mr Elletson to continue his secret role after his election in 1992.

He carried out his unpaid intelligence work in Eastern Europe while representing the electors of Blackpool: he also ran an extensive network of private business interests in the region, while using his public position to mount a controversial defence of the Serb regime.

The proposed Northumbria would cover the territory that was ruled a thousand years ago by the Norseman Erik Bloodaxe, the last 'king of the North', killed in battle at Stainmore in the Pennines in 954.