The Tuesday meeting of the Corporate Community and External Affairs committee (CCEA) was disrupted by a fire alarm which saw the panel charged with overseeing the work of Reading Borough Council having to flee the building.

Council Leader Jo Lovelock mysteriously disappeared from the council chamber shortly before the alarm went off, just before the committee was about to discuss ID cards. However, she denied that it was an attempt to stifle discussion of the controversial scheme which has critics within the local Labour Party after she was overheard saying to fellow Labour members: "Refurbishment is not an option, well not anymore it isn't!"

Unfortunately for her plans to destroy the civic, the high levels of asbestos in the building means that it will live to fight another day.