If they can't even get this right...

When I wrote about the gift of DVDs which passed from President Obama to Prime Minister Brown last month, I mentioned that there was "no word on whether the DVDs are region 2 and PAL so that the Prime Minister can at least watch them in Great Britain, or if they're region 1 and NTSC, so that they'll make nifty coasters..."

Well, now we know - coasters they are...

While not exactly a film buff, Gordon Brown was touched when Barack Obama gave him a set of 25 classic American movies – including Psycho, starring Anthony Perkins on his recent visit to Washington.

Alas, when the PM settled down to begin watching them the other night, he found there was a problem.

The films only worked in DVD players made in North America and the words "wrong region" came up on his screen.

With apologies to Rush Limbaugh, President Obama's teleprompter has had no comment on this story.