London: British Prime Minister Gordon Brown is to move out of 10 Downing Street - the British premier's address for close to 300 years - to take up residence at number 12 next door, a newspaper reported Monday.

The Sun said Brown wanted bigger premises to set up an open plan "War Room that could accommodate him and his key advisers working to alleviate the impact of the global financial crisis on Britain.

The Prime Minister's Office said it had no comment to offer on the report.

Brown cannot make changes to 10 Downing Street because of planning restrictions in the government-protected building.

No. 12 Downing Street used to be the residence of the chief whip until Brown's predecessor Tony Blair turned it into the Prime Minister's Press Office.

However, Blair himself spent his premiership out of 10 Downing Street, swapping the premier's traditional home with Brown's No. 11 because he had a larger family.

 

Source : IANS