Under the counter

The great escapeI read recently that disgraced former Refco boss Phil Bennett had been electronically tagged as he was considered to be a significant "flight risk" (perhaps US prosecutors thought he might be carrying bird flu). This got me thinking: surely there are plenty of options available for a man with lots of ready cash and a desire to get out of the country? So, in an almost unprecedented step, I decided to get down from my bar stool and do some research. Apparently, some people consider this a useful or even necessary precursor to writing and filing copy, though I must say it's never struck me as such. Anyway, first step was a call to the British embassy in Toronto, to inquire as to how they would treat a chap turning up on their doorstep claiming to be a British citizen, but without a British passport. Asked why I...