Sian races on to new love

Celebrity TV weather presenter Sian Lloyd - former fiancee of Montgomeryshire MP Lembit Opik - has a new man in her life.

Sian was spotted at the weekend stolling in a London park with millionaire motor racing entrepreneur Jonathan Ashman.

The pair have, according to a Sunday newspaper, been seeing each other since they were introduced by Welsh Secretary Peter Hain at a St David's Day Whitehall party.

A divorcee, Mr Ashman has a 19-year-old daughter, Suzanne, the girlfriend of Euan Blair, eldest son of Prime Minister Tony and wife Cherie.Friends of Sian and Jonathan are quoted as saying they have enjoyed several dinner dates and have been growing closer over the past seven weeks.

One said: "It's early days but they are very taken with one another. They go for romantic walks on Primrose Hill and love the theatre. They've both come into the relationship with a bit of baggage. Jonathan divorced five years ago and Sian is obviously still stung by what happened with Lembit."

Mr Ashman is a former marketing director of the Motor Sports Association and was responsible for staging the British Grand Prix. He is now president of the commission overseeing the World Touring Car Championships.

Last autumn, Sian and Lembit, who had been engaged for more than two years, had a public split after it was revealed the MP had been seeing one half of the Cheeky Girls pop duo, Gabriela Irimia, who is 18 years his junior.

By Deborah Knox