Coining it

Last week's revelations about the items lost or stolen over the last four years from Lord Chancellor's Department buildings are, despite their seriousness, somewhat amusing, Obiter feels obliged to point out.

The irony aside - many of them are court buildings, after all - some of the items are quite eye-opening, such as a vending machine, CCTV camera and two safes all going walkabouts.

You wonder (a) why anyone would nick a vending machine; and (b) how they would sneak it out without anyone noticing.

The financial year 1999-2000 was especially bad for payphones, with five going missing, while barrier ropes, electronic postal scales and roof leads are some of the odder items to have disappeared.

But what Obiter cannot work out is whether the people who relieved the government of two Union flags did so in an act of patriotism.