Focusing on revenue
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Facing a bill of nearly £50,000 for something you say isn't your fault and that you couldn't have known about. That appears to be the sorry situation of Bristol-based Westfield International this week, whose truck was impounded after a driver was found with a large consignment of tobacco. But even if the driver was, as alleged, deliberately smuggling tobacco, was the truck operator really to know?
As with fines for illegal immigrants, it seems the authorities have decided to abandon a presumption of innocence in favour of a presumption of revenue. But in order to even remotely justify this novel approach to justice, it's imperative for Customs & Excise to make it crystal clear what the acceptable limits for personal consumption actually are, both in terms of volumes and time periods. They must also make it equally clear how they arrive at their figures, in light of the current lack of official legal limits. And after that, they must justify how on earth they expect operators to know what every single driver on every single trip is up to when nobody's looking.
If they can come up with a watertight answer to that one, we reckon they might just have earned their wages for the week.
• No surprise that drivers breaching foot-and-mouth regulations in Yorkshire may face prosecution and stiff fines for failing to follow the necessary disinfecting procedures. This disease has proved resilient enough on its own without being helped on its way back around the country by an impatient minority. Those caught cutting corners must be made examples of if we are to see this disease off the premises by the end of the year.