Pinning down a real ladies man

Ad agencies hoping to get to grips with Sunday Express deputy editor Ian Birrell as he and editor Sue Douglas look for a new shop would be well advised to heed a word of advice from The Diary.

According to industry sources, many years ago Birrell could be found slaving away as a junior hack on a free weekly paper in the darkest corner of the West Midlands.

Bound by his apprenticeship, but unable to resist the lure of London, the quick-thinking youngster told his employer he had girlfriend trouble, simply had to stand by her, and managed to spring from his contract.

Perhaps agencies could take a leaf out of the Lesbian Avengers’ book. It seems one of the few times Birrell had to pause for breath was during his spell at The Sunday Times.

Several young ladies from the aforementioned pressure group “invaded” the newsroom to protest at allegedly distorted reporting and chained themselves to the filing cabinets.