Archer arrives for day release job

Disgraced peer Lord Archer today arrived at a theatre to begin work behind the scenes while on day release from open prison.

Archer, who is serving a four-year sentence for perjury and perverting the course of justice, drove past a crowd of onlookers in a black BMW on his way to work at the Theatre Royal in Lincoln.

About 15 minutes later he strode down the road grinning broadly but declined to answer questions about his new job.

He gave a cursory "good morning" to reporters and entered the administration and rehearsal building at around 10.20am, sparking suggestions that he might have been late on his first day.

Archer will be paid for the five day a week job, returning each evening to the North Sea Camp open prison near Boston, Lincs.

The former MP for nearby Louth was also allowed out of jail yesterday to visit his wife Mary and sons James, 28, and William, 29, at their home in Grantchester, Cambs.

Dozens of people turned out to watch him arrive at the theatre today and lined the streets as he rushed along to the front doors.

Mrs Venice Everard, 77, of Lincoln, said Archer used to live with her mother in Dover and she was interested to see him again.

She said: "I'm just here as matter of interest. I don't think he should be let out. He should suffer a bit for what he has done.

"This is what he wants to do. It is all good advertising for his book.

"He used to lodge with my mother years ago when he was PE instructor before he went to university. He lived with her for two years at Victoria Park in Dover in 1960.

"She liked Jeffrey Archer and she knew him very well. I have sort of followed his career from the beginning."

Theatre staff today remained silent on what Archer would be doing during his work with them.