Blair's damaged deputy has costly name change

LONDON, Dec 19 (Reuters) Britain's Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott spent 645 pounds of taxpayers' money to change his door sign, an official document today showed.

The scandal-prone Prescott admitted that was the cost of switching the sign on his door from ''Office of the Deputy Prime Minster'' to ''Deputy Prime Minister's Office''.

In a written parliamentary statement, he also said he had spent 726 pounds on new business cards when he lost his official duties but kept the same Whitehall office.

Prescott was stripped of his departmental responsibilities in a Cabinet reshuffle after he admitted to having an affair with his diary secretary.

Since then, he has drawn criticism for being allowed to retain his privileges despite losing his main role.

He has kept his title, 130,000 pound salary and 18 staff but had to give up a free country mansion after photographers caught him playing croquet on the mansion's lawn during working hours.

The opposition Conservative Party said Prescott's ''vanity department'' was ''a scandalous waste of time and money''.

Reuters SY GC2357