SO now we know why Nestlé Rowntree has been going through hard times recently -- it has lost the heavyweight buying power of Chancellor Gordon Brown.

The probable future Prime Minister is said to have been one of KitKat's biggest fans for years, hooked on the York-made confectionery snack and eating up to three a day.

But each four-finger bar is said to contain 233 calories, with three accounting for more than a third of the average man's daily energy needs.

And last year, under pressure from his wife Sarah, he resolved to give them up, embarking on a major weight-loss programme, including a strict ban on KitKats.

Mr Brown, who hopes to succeed Mr Blair as PM this summer, is also said to have been making daily visits to the Treasury treadmill - he runs three miles on it each morning.

The result has been that Mr Brown, 56, has lost a stone.

A source close to him said: "Gordon used to snack on chocolate. But he has given up for the past six months and looks much better for it."

Reader Dave Taylor of Fishergate, who alerted the Diary to Mr Brown's shock decision, said it was gratifying that despite all the "bad things" New Labour had done while in power, such as Iraq and ID cards, there was one Labour heavyweight who had been doing his bit for the York economy - at least until recently.

"I have to salute the Chancellor for his dedication and support for our industry," he said.

"Pity he couldn't manage the odd Chocolate Orange occasionally as well."

Happy birthday, but when?

IT'S NICE to know the Diary has a friend.

We've received an email from a John Mappin, who, he says, is "creating a birthday list of all my friends and family".

The Diary is invited to click on a link to add its own birthday to John's list. It will, he promises, take less than one minute.

All this got the Diary thinking - when is its birthday? It was founded goodness-knows how long ago, lost in the mists of time.

It looks like John will just have to give it a miss.