Mystery last night surrounded an extraordinary meeting of the Government's Parliamentary Group at the House of Assembly - with MPs claiming it was merely a "regular meeting".

Two independent sources told The Royal Gazette that the meeting had been held by the Progressive Labour Party's Parliamentary members to discuss the issue of leadership.

The meeting began early in the evening, well before 7 p.m., and is thought to have gone on until 10 p.m.

One source, who cannot be named, said: "I heard in the last couple of days that the Parliamentary Group were planning to hold a meeting to discuss leadership, but I don't know when."

And another said: "They are meeting now and they talking about a challenge of the leadership."

But when The Royal Gazette managed to speak to members as they briefly came and went to the meeting, they denied it was anything unusual.

When Education and Development Minister Paula Cox was asked why the meeting had been held, and whether the issue was leadership, she said: "I can't tell you about that. I have no comment to make."

Health Minister Nelson Bascome and Labour and Home Affairs Minister Terry Lister said the gathering was the usual, weekly "caucus meeting", which is normally held on a Wednesday evening.

But Mr. Lister, who only arrived back on the Island yesterday, said he did not know why the day for the caucus meeting had been changed.

Government's leader in the Senate, Colonel David Burch said: "It's a regular meeting. What's the problem?"