Order, order. No Monkey Business here

One interesting story that came to the Diary’s attention last week was that the ITV Digital Monkey has appeared in court.

According to The Daily Mirror (July 26), Charles Flint QC – who unsuccessfully tried to prove that Carlton and Granada were liable for the &£178.5m being claimed by the Football League – was reported as saying the Monkey was “an appropriate mascot for a company which we say had no independent existence and simply did what it was told by its shareholders”.

It’s a shame to see Monkey dragged through the mire over a chapter of his life he’d rather forget. While Johnny Vegas has gone on to star in television comedies, and of course being the voice of St Helens Rugby League Club’s answerphone, our friend the beleaguered simian has experienced nothing but ridicule. It seems that just because you’ve got fur and a tail, you’ve no rights in this world.