'Berlusconi doodled women's knickers at EU climate summit'

London, Dec 13 : Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi made doodles of women's underwear at a recent European Union summit and then passed them around to shocked leaders, a newspaper reported.

He etched women's underwear through the ages - from Victorian bloomers to thongs - as the leaders discussed climate change at the meeting in Brussels Friday.

His prank caused titters among some, but indignation among others who passed them back to him, the Mail on Sunday reported.

European leaders present included Britain's Gordon Brown, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Nicolas Sarkozy, Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen and EU foreign envoy Baroness Cathy Ashton.

The paper said when the drawings passed across Brown's desk, he ignored them.

Berlusconi, 73, started doodling as the leaders discussed giving more money to help developing countries combat the effects of climate change.

One source said the etchings were headed 'Women's knickers through the ages' and included loin cloths used by Egyptian women, Victorian bloomers, French satin knickers, thongs and G-strings.

"No one could believe it," the Mail on Sunday quoted an unnamed source as saying.

"He was scribbling away and then sent round some jottings with women's knickers on it. Some people were amused. Some were not."