I SAW a couple of men angling in Worcester's swan sanctuary the other day. I'm convinced they were fishing for the pot.

One had caught a large chub. By the looks of things, I wouldn't have put money on this particular old pin cushion being thrown back. I imagine that an hour or two later, our pair of Izaak Waltons would have discovered that this rotund member of the carp family is totally inedible.

Such a shame. He could have been left alone to enjoy life treading water under the alders waiting for a grub to drop in.

We really must start to keep a close watch on this sort of thing. There are now some desperately poor people around these days, many of whom are employed doing jobs most of us spurn.

Do we really want to see a return to a Hogarthian Britain where destitute itinerant workers are forced to scavenge for sustenance - or is this yet another manifestation of the much- trumpeted liberty of movement sans frontieres?