Politician's slip overshadows sign unveiling

A Dutch politician's clumsy antics have upstaged the event he had assembled local media to cover.

Maxime Verhagen was struggling to unveil a new sign in the Dutch countryside when he backpedalling and slipping into a muddy ditch.

The president of Building Netherlands was tugging away on a rope attached to a black cloth covering the sign, when he lost his footing and fell.

Mr Verhagen found the incident as funny as those watching, saying: "I couldn't grip the string properly and let it go!"

"You have fixed it a little too good," Mr Verhagen joked with the onlookers.

"A contractor should be involved," he said brushing mud off his trousers.

The media event undoubtedly got more publicity than the pollie would have expected but he may not have been as pleased with the focus of the coverage.