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| Three more drugs advisers resign | Three more drugs advisers resign |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| Three more government advisers have resigned after the home secretary's sacking of his chief drugs adviser Prof David Nutt, the BBC has learned. | Three more government advisers have resigned after the home secretary's sacking of his chief drugs adviser Prof David Nutt, the BBC has learned. |
| Dr John Marsden, Dr Ian Ragan and Dr Simon Campbell have quit the Advisory Council for the Misuse of Drugs after two others left earlier this month. | Dr John Marsden, Dr Ian Ragan and Dr Simon Campbell have quit the Advisory Council for the Misuse of Drugs after two others left earlier this month. |
| Members of the council had met Alan Johnson seeking reassurance that their independence would not be compromised. | Members of the council had met Alan Johnson seeking reassurance that their independence would not be compromised. |
| Mr Johnson dismissed Prof Nutt for "crossing a line" into politics. | Mr Johnson dismissed Prof Nutt for "crossing a line" into politics. |
| BBC home affairs editor Mark Easton said the absence of certain experts on the council meant it would, effectively, be unable to operate. | |
| 'Big problem' | |
| He said members still had outstanding concerns and Mr Johnson was presented with "a big problem". | |
| Earlier the home secretary said he stood by the decision to remove Prof Nutt but wanted to improve relations with the council, saying he would give "due weight" to their views in the future. | |
| Clinical director Marion Walker and Dr Les King's were the first to resign following the row. | |
| Dr King said he wanted the council to become independent, free from government influence. | |
| Prof Nutt was sacked after calling cannabis less harmful than alcohol and nicotine, and saying it was upgraded to Class B for political reasons. | |
| But Mr Johnson said Prof Nutt had "crossed the line between offering advice and then campaigning against the government on political decisions". |