Arthur Scargill in court over flat bills

Former miners' leader Arthur Scargill has gone to the High Court to fight an attempt by his union to stop paying the cost of his London flat.

Mr Scargill, 74, says he was given use of the rented three-bed Barbican flat for life when he became president of the National Union of Mineworkers in 1982, a tenure that lasted 20 years.

He says under the union's rental terms he should have use of it until he dies.

The NUM says maintaining the flat costs £34,000 a year, which it cannot afford.