A Carlisle coffee shop was 'delighted' to welcome politician turned TV presenter, Michael Portillo, in for a brew. 

The former Conservative MP and cabinet member, who fronts the BBC history and travel series 'Great British Railway Journeys', visited John Watt & Son on Bank Street after being spotted filming throughout Cumbria the past week. 

These included Swarthmoor Hall and its Quaker connections, the Lakeside and Haverthwaite Railway, and Laurel and Hardy Museum.

Director of John Watt and Son, Peter Johnston, said: "We were delighted to welcome Micheal to the home of John Watt, where he enjoyed lunch and our espresso which has been roasted in Carlisle to our secret recipe since 1865 when the first shop opened." 

Following a well-rounded political career that started as a special advisor under Margaret Thatcher, ascended to cabinet positions and was disrupted by an unexpected loss of his Enfield Southgate seat in 1997 - a moment dubbed the 'Portillo moment' by the media. 

Portillo returned to politics in 1999, serving as the MP for Kensington and Chelsea, ultimately retiring from active politics at the 2005 general election.