I'm slightly confused by Jeremy Clarkson's admission that he was wrong about the safety of publishing his bank details.

The Direct Debit Guarantee promises him a full and immediate refund in this situation. If he phones his bank, the money should be back in his account by the time he puts the phone down.

I have heard that Barclays Bank are very bad at honouring their obligations under the Direct Debit Guarantee, and one person tells me that's one of the reasons he now banks elsewhere.

But that's a reason for Jeremy to change banks, not to admit that he was wrong about publishing bank details -- which are, after all, on every cheque he's ever written, too.