Government officials booked

You cannot trust anyone nowadays it would seem, not even government ministers, diplomats and their officials.

In a report on his visit to the World Trade Organisation's (WTO) recent trade liberalisation talks in Qatar, Tony Newson - manager of Hammicks legal bookshop on Fleet Street in London - says that sales were disappointing for a very particular reason: most of his stock was nicked.

Hammicks is an official bookseller for the WTO and had a stand at the conference.

'Sales would certainly have been better if a large part of the stock for the stand had not been stolen by delegates after the first day,' he says sadly, 'despite being fully covered and stored behind the stand and with two security guards stationed outside the main conference room.

It's a pity the US Marines weren't patrolling inland as well.' So let the call go out - the war on terror should be extended to those who terrorise poor legal bookshop managers.