Bush's niece jailed over drugs

Jeb Bush (r) is running for re-election this autumn

By Ian Pannell BBC correspondent in Washington

The niece of US President George Bush has been jailed in connection with drug offences.

Noelle Bush: Did not comply with treatment

Noelle Bush, the daughter of Florida Governor Jeb Bush, broke the terms of a court-ordered drug treatment programme.

The 24-year-old was arrested in January after fraudulently trying to obtain a prescription drug to treat anxiety.

She was arrested outside a pharmacy in Tallahassee.

She has been jailed for 72 hours on a charge of contempt of court for failing to comply with her treatment programme.

It is not clear how she broke the court order.

Jeb Bush, who is running for re-election this autumn, issued a statement saying how sad the family was, but he added that this was something that happens to many people trying to recover from addiction.

"We know there are thousands of families across Florida who share in this unfortunate experience with their own children," he said.

The Florida governor is being challenged by the former attorney general, Janet Reno, in this autumn's elections but it is unlikely this news will dent his campaign.

If anything, it may generate popular sympathy for a man sometimes seen as aloof from the real world.