Former Welsh Secretary Ron Davies - the politician famous for his 'moment of madness' on Clapham Common - is to become a father again, at the age of 56.

Davies, the Welsh Assembly Member for Caerphilly, and his third wife Lynne, 36, are expecting their first child together early next spring.

They are both very happy and are looking forward to a very exciting future together

Spokesman for Ron and Lynne Davies

The couple married in August, three years after they met while studying Welsh in Aberystwyth.

The AM already has a daughter Angharad, 16, from his marriage to his first wife Christina - the pair divorced three years ago.

A spokesman for Ron and Lynne Davies said on Monday:"They are both very happy and are looking forward to a very exciting future together."

"It will be a fulfilling experience if nothing else.

"As with the challenges of politics, you take each day as it comes."

Fatherhood in his late 50s will certainly provide fresh challenges for the prominent politician, hailed as the architect of devolution in Wales.

Ron Davies and Lynne Hughes have three dogs

He was forced to stand down from the UK Cabinet and as Wales Labour party leader after a famous incident involving a stranger on Clapham Common, in London, four years ago.

He was robbed at knifepoint, and a man was arrested and charged with robbery but the charge was later dropped.

His political career seemed in tatters when he admitted an addiction to "high-risk" situations, and sought medical treatment for his compulsive behaviour. He also admitted his bisexuality.

The following year he abandoned Westminster altogether, and became the first AM for Caerphilly in the Welsh Assembly elections, pursuing more grassroots politics.

Mr Davies married new wife Lynne - a community education minister for the local council - at a register office in the south Wales town three months ago.

The couple, who currently share their home in the village near Caerphilly with their three dogs, met as Mr Davies was emerging from medical treatment.

"It was a very difficult time. The fact of having a relationship with someone like Lynne obviously has been a great source of strength," Mr Davies said recently.