Polish head's illegal work in UK

The Polish president became a huge Arsenal fan

Polish president and long-time Arsenal fan Aleksander Kwasniewski worked illegally near Highbury in the 1970s, he has admitted.

He worked as a barman to earn money and improve his English during a break from his studies at Gdansk University.

But asked about his time in London, he told Channel 4 News: "I can't talk about this period of my life as this was an illegal job."

Mr Kwasniewski - on a three-day visit - toured the Arsenal ground on Thursday.

A Downing Street spokesman told BBC News Online the prime minister may have been aware of Mr Kwasniewski's stint pulling pints, but refused to comment further.

And despite the current rampant fear in the tabloid press that the accession of new EU countries will swamp the UK with migrant workers, there is no indication that action will be taken against Mr Kwasniewski.

The Foreign Office and Home Office were tight-lipped over the matter.

Old guys

And a spokesman for the Polish president said no-one but Mr Kwasniewski himself could shed more light on the matter.

It was not clear which pub in the vicinity of Highbury had played host to the future Polish president, and the licensee of the Gunners Rob Sturgess told BBC News Online: "Nobody here knows. The local old guys are almost gone - they would be the people who would remember."

The three-day visit by Mr Kwasniewski and his wife follows the accession of Poland to the European Union on 1 May.

On Friday, their last day in London, the couple were accompanied by the Duke of Kent on a guided tour of the Treasury at the Tower of London.

The chief exhibitor of the Crown Jewels, Keith Hanson, who told the Polish president and his entourage tales behind the jewels, said he saw a glint in the president's wife's eye when she spotted a sceptre with the largest diamond in the world.

"When she saw it, she mentioned it was their anniversary coming up," Mr Hanson said.

"On the whole they were very impressed with it. He [Mr Kwasniewski] seemed very interested in the whole story of the jewels," he added.

Key ally

Asked whether he thought the visit was a good way for the Polish president to get a flavour of Britain in the wake of Poland's recent accession to the EU, the Duke of Kent said: "He knows the country very well, but I think it's a wonderful way. He enjoyed this very, very much".

After the tour, Mr Kwasniewski met City business leaders at Lloyds of London and attended a formal state lunch.

On Thursday, the president held talks with Tony Blair on Poland's accession to the EU as one of 10 new member states and the situation in Iraq, where the Poles have 2,500 troops.

During his trip, the 50-year-old president was also invited to a state banquet with the Queen and met the Prince of Wales.

Mr. Kwasniewski , who - like his lawyer wife Jolanta, speaks English - last visited Britain in July 2002 when he also had talks with Mr Blair.

It is the second state visit by a Polish head of state, following that of former Solidarity leader Lech Walesa in 1991.