Culture minister Rhodri Glyn Thomas has dramatically quit his cabinet post after it emerged he was told to leave a Cardiff Bay pub on Wednesday night for breaking the smoking ban.
The 'minister for fun' (arts, sports etc) was spotted by bar staff with a lit cigar in his hand at the bar of the Eli Jenkins, a popular haunt of the media, politicians and their staff, just a hop and a skip from the Senedd.
Wrexham-born Mr Thomas should have been celebrating today after receiving an honorary fellowship from Bangor University.
He was challenged by a barmaid, apologised and went back to the beer garden immediately.
But it became clear that trouble was brewing when both he and deputy first minister Ieuan Wyn Jones suddenly pulled out of the official opening of the Sir Kyffin Williams gallery on Anglesey tonight and met up in Caernarfon instead.
In a resignation letter to Labour first minister Rhodri Morgan, Mr Thomas wrote: "In the light of the publicity that has been following me in the last weeks I feel that my position in the government is no longer sustainable.
"Further comments would be bound to follow. It has been a privilege to be part of this government during this exceedingly exciting period."
The AM for Carmarthen East and Dinefwr, a former minister of religion, was drinking with journalists in the Eli Jenkins following the last day of the Assembly session before the summer recess.
As a former shadow health minister, he was among AMs who backed the ban on smoking in public places which was introduced in Wales in April last year.
Offenders may be fined a fixed penalty of £50 for smoking in no-smoking premises, rising to a maximum of £200 on summary conviction in a court.
The manager of such premises could be fined up to £2,500 for allowing people to smoke there.
His latest gaffe followed a recent apology for announcing the wrong winner at the prestige Welsh Book of the Year Awards in the Cardiff Hilton.
Disgruntled Plaid supporters were unhappy that he failed to fund a new Welsh language daily newspaper and that a bid to Westminster for powers over Welsh language rights is yet to be delivered.
One smouldering cigar - and he was done for.
First minister Rhodri Morgan accepted his resignation.
