OVERSEAS duties forced Mark Oaten to put a charity fund-raising event in Winchester on ice.

The city's MP was appointed to the Council of Europe by Gordon Brown earlier this month.

He will be part of a delegation led by former deputy PM, John Prescott, and is joining the defence and equal opportunities committees.

The council exists to promote democracy and human rights in Europe, and 47 countries are members.

Mr Oaten's first meeting will be in Paris early next month (November).

However, it clashes with a charity event at the Theatre Royal in Winchester on Wednesday, November 7.

This week, the MP's office confirmed that the show would not go on.

Dubbed 'Mark Oaten in Conversation', it was due to focus on his decade as the city's man in Westminster.

The talk was scheduled 10 years to the month after the Lib Dem politician won a landslide by-election. It was called after the Tories challenged the knife-edge general election result in Winchester six months beforehand.

Mr Oaten was due to recap the highs and lows of his political life. They were likely to include his dramatic election to Westminster and the scandal that coincided with his failed party leadership bid.

He was going to be in conversation with John Miller, the artistic director of the Winchester Festival.

The event has now been postponed indefinitely because the MP will be in France.

A spokeswoman at his office added that an alternative date for the talk was yet to be arranged.

The event was designed to raise money for Naomi House children's hospice at Sutton Scotney and the Trinity Centre in Winchester.

A Theatre Royal spokeswoman added: "Ticket sales were ticking along, but Mr Oaten had work commitments.

"There are no plans to re schedule the talk this season. It was organised partly to coincide with his 10-year anniversary as MP.

"Whether we are looking at incorporating the talk into the spring season I don't know."

The theatre is offering refunds for all tickets purchased in advance. Call the venue on 01962 840440.