• BEWARE of free gifts: you don’t know how much they might end up costing.

I was at the O2 Centre on Finchley Road and saw an advertisement for “Free wi-fi”. When I tried to use the service, I was required to sign in with an account that they invited me to open. This required my name, postcode and date of birth.

Realising that the date of birth is a cornerstone of the burgeoning industry of identity fraud, I stopped and asked the chief executive why they needed the DOB. She said this was standard practice across Landsec’s properties – that is, “Don’t blame me, the rules come with the job.”

Since this argument was thoroughly dealt with in 1946, my instinct is to stay away. Who knows what their motive is?

PETER RUTHERFORD
Pandora Road, NW6