HE shot to fame making a monkey of himself in front of 2,000 football fans on Saturday afternoons - and now the extraordinary story of H'Angus the Monkey seems set to be told before a worldwide audience.

Since shocking the political world by being elected mayor of Hartlepool, TV offers have been pouring in for the North-East's newest celebrity, Stuart Drummond.

He looks set to appear on the premier chat show in the US, Tonight with Jay Leno, sharing the sofa with basketball legend Magic Johnson and Star Wars star Hayden Christensen.

Within hours of Hartlepool's first citizen winning the election last week, his campaign agent, Ron Harnish, was fielding calls from across the globe.

"Researchers from the show phoned me at home on Saturday," said Mr Harnish. "They want to get Stuart on the show and fly me and him over there to appear live."

The political fallout of H'Angus' mayoral win has marked the end of the road for two party leaders in Hartlepool.

Liberal Democrat leader Councillor Arthur Preece, a defeated mayoral candidate who said Hartlepool's monkey mayor made the town a laughing stock, stepped down earlier this week.

Yesterday, it was announced that the Labour leader, Councillor Russell Hart, had been ousted as leader of his party.

The Conservatives are expected to choose a new leader next week.

Coun Preece said his decision to step down as party leader was made before last week's election.

The 74-year-old politician, who has led the Liberal group since the early 1990s, will hand over the reigns to Councillor Andrew Ward - at 28, one of Hartlepool's youngest serving councillors.

Councillor Edna Wright will become the party's deputy leader, taking over from Councillor John Lauderdale.

Coun Preece will continue as a councillor until next year's full elections, when he intends to stand down.

Coun Hart lost out to Councillor Moss Boddy in a vote on Tuesday.

The former leader of Hartlepool Borough Council will take no position of power in the party reshuffle, but insisted his political career would continue.

He said: "Hartlepool knows me as a political man, and I will continue to look for opportunities in politics that will allow me to represent the people.

"I have strong Labour principles and values. These, and the cornerstone of my belief in democracy and commitment to Hartlepool and its people, are my goals for the future."

Councillor Harry Clouth continues as deputy leader, Councillor Sandra Fenwick is the Labour group secretary and Councillor Carl Richardson becomes the chief whip