Jeremy Clarkson published details of his bank account, sort code, and even told people how to find his address. He did this to prove that the loss of 25 million HMRC Child Benefit data records was a “fuss about nothing”.

All you’ll be able to do with them is put money into my account. Not take it out. Honestly, I’ve never known such a palaver about nothing.Jeremy Clarkson, as quoted on BBC News [1]

Well I bet that set his readers minds at rest. Until of course the following week, when he is forced to reveal:

I opened my bank statement this morning to find out that someone has set up a direct debit which automatically takes £500 from my account. The bank cannot find out who did this because of the Data Protection Act and they cannot stop it from happening again. I was wrong and I have been punished for my mistake.Jeremy Clarkson as quoted on BBC News [2]

Yes Jeremy. That’s precisely why people tell you to be careful with your bank details.

Now I wonder in next weeks column whether you’d like to try a little experiment: tell your readers where you will be out of the house. Tell them where you leave a spare key. And then tell them where to find your burglar alarm and switch it off. No…?

If you like reading Jeremy Clarkson as I do (although I find I generally disagree with his opinion at least 80% of the time, he tells the story so well that I enjoy the argument — and that’s the sign of a good writer), then you will I’m sure have noticed him being particularly scathing to people who’ve done incredibly dumb things all the while insisting that they were right.

Well Jeremy. Pot. Kettle. Kettle. Pot. And that for me is the funniest part of the entire story…