CONFRONTATIONAL Ealing MP Stephen Pound has been recuperating after a scuffle with a Tory MP at a radio station.

The bust-up happened when new MP Philip Davies, 33, lunged at law and order spokesman Mr Pound, 57, after he read an embarrassing email live on Talksport radio on Friday, October 14.

Now the pair are at the centre of a media storm.

Mr Pound, who claims he may have a cracked rib as a result of the incident, said: "He completely threw his toys out of the pram. He started shrieking at me and he totally lost it. It was more handbags than heavyweights."

Mr Davies has dismissed reports claiming there had been a physical struggle and said he was not responsible for any injury to Mr Pound.

The two politicians had been invited to speak on Ian Collins' Talksport radio programme, when Mr Pound, parliamentary aide to Home Office minister Hazel Blears, read out an email from Mr Davies' assistant Stacy Hilliard, which asked constituents to ring the show in support of the Tory MP.

Mr Pound said: "He went a bit white when I read it out.

"After the programme finished he totally lost it.

He tried to grab the email off me to find out who had grassed him up.

"We were in the control room and he was grappling me round the studio.

It was utterly undignified."

He continued: "If you try to "spin" on air and get caught it is highly embarrassing. My advice is don't put anything in an email if you don't want it published."

He added jokingly: "I may have to start to employ a minder now."

Mr Davies, MP for Shipley, West Yorks, said however, his injury was nothing to do with him.

He said: "There was absolutely no physical contact and definitely no wrestling."

"If he has hurt his chest I am very sorry but it has nothing to do with me."

But Mr Pound stood by the claims, saying: "I can absolutely and categorically say that my chest is still hurting as a result of the incident."

It was about an hour after the scuffle that his rib started to hurt.

He said: "It felt like a red-hot poker in the chest."

He went to London's St Thomas' hospital and was told he may have cracked a rib or pulled a chest muscle, but that it would heal in time.

"It still hurts now," he said.

Radio show host Ian Collins said: "I can't really add anything to what has already been said.

"It was obviously a very embarrassing incident, but what I will say is that Steve Pound is a regular on our show.

"We like him a lot. We hope that relationship will continue."

Mr Pound added, laughing: "Ian Collins has said we were going at it in Saville Row suits, but I can barely afford a saveloy, let alone one of those."

After the incident, Mr Pound treated the Tory MP to a taxi ride back to the Commons.