Counting Beans

If you were unlucky enough to be burgled, the police, should they bother to turn up, would ask for an inventory of items that have gone missing. You see, it helps to catch the thieves if you know exactly what they have taken. As taxpayers we are therefore in the S**t.

The level of fraud in the £700 billion annual accounts of the European Union is "unknown and difficult to calculate", according to a committee of MPs.

That’s the thing about fraud, unless you catch someone with their hands in the till, its not possible to know how big the problem is. Still we know that its not small.

In 2003 member states reported irregularities, including alleged fraud, valued at £630 million. Which is bad enough but this is just that which is reported.

Goodness knows how much more is taken with a nod and a wink from local bureaucrats. No wonder they decided on shooting the messenger, it is far easier after all.