Always be nice to the neighbours

Jacqui Smith may have a problem. Some of her neighbours in London are prepared to put on record that Jacqui Smith has not been staying in her sister's London flat as often as she claims:

"Mrs Taplin, 33, said: 'When I read that she says she spends most of the week here, I thought, "That is a fabrication."

'She is virtually never here on a Sunday as she claimed and you don't see much of her in the summer. I would say she spends no more than a third of the year here.'

Mr Taplin, 46, who works from home, said: 'You can tell when she is here because the police guards arrive first. They turn up mid-morning on Monday and leave mid-morning on Thursday.

'I cannot recall when they have been here any other nights of the week. I find her behaviour extraordinary.'

Both Mr and Mrs Taplin say they are prepared to give evidence if there is an official inquiry into Ms Smith's expenses.

...

Another resident who lives a few doors down from Ms Smith's lodgings, on the same side of the road, said: 'I see the policemen outside the house three mornings a week. It varies but I would say no more than three mornings a week.

'You really know when she's there - you can't miss two armed coppers standing on your road.'

One neighbour who has lived on the street since the Sixties said: 'I just can't believe it's her main residence. The policemen disappear for weeks.'"

Maybe the police could release the records showing on how many days they had armed police stationed outside Jacqui Smith's sister's flat. That should be easy to report on and pretty conclusive; I won't hold my breath though.