Womanising US President Bill Clinton went on an online spending spree yesterday to buy some last minute Christmas gifts. The self-confessed internet virgin hooked onto the Net using a Compaq laptop computer from the comfort of the Oval Office in the White House.

Once online, he avoided the crowds and opted instead for two politically correct sites. At lakotafund.org he bought some dyed horsehair bracelets fashioned by South Dakota's Lakota Native Americans. And he bought books from world2market.com, a site which flogs trendy ethnic goods made by economically challenged craftsmen from around the world. It's not known who he bought the presents for but you can bet they're going to be chuffed to bits with these goodies.

According to Reuters, Clinton asked for the gifts to be shipped directly to the White House. Apparently, a presidential spokeswoman said she expected that he used the special zip code that directs mail to the White House. There was no mention of whether Clinton went on to buy cigars or to visit any other sites dedicated to the President's peccadillos.

In September, British PM Tony Blair, bought some flowers online for his wife Cherie. ®