BLACKBURN MP Jack Straw has admitted he was surprised he caused the Government so much trouble as a student.

Documents released by the Public Records Office yesterday revealed he had been branded 'chief troublemaker' by the British Ambassador in Chile following a series of incidents during a visit there in 1966 as student activist.

The Foreign Secretary was quizzed about the documents at a New York press conference and said: "I have seen the document and I was surprised that given that it was a storm in a teacup inside a student delegation in the summer of 1966 that it caused so much trouble inside the British Embassy in Chile.

"What I would say is that I think that just as politicians have changed in the last 37 years so have British diplomats. They have been slimmed down and they have more to do so they have fewer reports like that to write."

Mr Straw is in New York in his capacity as Foreign Secretary ahead of a UN meeting today to discuss Iraq.