FORMER MP and BBC war reporter, Martin Bell, visited the borough to open Havering Libraries’ book festival this week.

Mr Bell, OBE, now a British ambassador for UNICEF, spoke about his varied career at the Word Weeks launch in Hornchurch Library in North Street on Monday.

Mr Bell wore the trademark white suit, or one very like it, which became such a feature of his successful anti-sleaze election campaign in Tatton in 1997.

Havering Libraries frontline services manager, Nicky Dunn, said: “It went very well. He was very knowledgeable and very professional and very entertaining. I think it’s fair to say everyone enjoyed it.

His talk was pretty wide-ranging. He talked about his time as a BBC war correspondent, his time as an independent MP and he spoke about his book on the expenses scandal. It was a very good evening.”

Mr Bell also signed copies of his books which were available for sale.

Word Weeks runs until the end of next week.

Former Conservative MP, Edwina Curry, is due to give a talk at 7.30pm tonight in Rainham Library in The Broadway. Tickets are �5.

Hornchurch Library is hosting a poetry slam on Saturday (October 9) between 1.30pm to 2.30pm for children and 2.30pm and 4.30pm for adults.