As a self-employed consultant solicitor representing serving prisoners in the south-west, I was staggered to discover that this year it would cost me a hefty £344 to renew my practising certificate. My bank appeared to agree, as the payment was immediately identified by Santander as a suspicious transaction.

Perhaps the bank also found it hard to believe that I was being charged an administration fee of £48 for filling in the form myself and printing the certificate at home.

Peter Conchie, Bristol