Law: Briefs

THE DIRECTOR of Public Prosecutions, David Calvert-Smith, is to return briefly to the shopfloor to prosecute his own list of cases in a magistrates' court of his own choice. A word of warning, though. Woe betide anyone who is up before the beak on a charge of bicycle theft and appears on the DPP's list. Mr Calvert-Smith, a keen cyclist, has had five cycles stolen in as many years without anyone being brought to court. Since joining the Crown Prosecution Service, Mr Calvert-Smith has escaped, temporarily at least, the curse of the stolen bicycle. As a Grade-1 civil servant he is entitled to a chauffeur-driven car. But old habits die hard, and it is reported that the DPP is an enthusiastic user of the exercise bike in the CPS gym. And no one has had the gall to run off with that yet.

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THE PARTNERS of Barlow Lyde & Gilbert have had much better luck in tracking down the people they think are responsible for a theft at their offices. Tradesmen called in to carry out some removal work permanently removed two Arsenal season tickets used to entertain clients. The theft only emerged when a partner had arranged for a client to enjoy a game accompanied by himself and two assistant solicitors. When it became clear that two of the tickets had been stolen, the assistants stood down. But the partner and client didn't have long to wait to find out who had taken the tickets. Later that afternoon, at the start of the game, they were joined by two men sitting where the assistants would have sat. The partner decided best practice was to say nothing until after the match, so as not to spoil the client's enjoyment. When the referee blew the final whistle, the partner calmly walked over to the nearest policeman and asked him to arrest the uninvited guests.