Anonymous consumer minister

Only one consumer in more than 1,000 could correctly identify the government minister who looks after their interests, a survey for BBC1's Watchdog programme has found. Researchers took a life-size cardboard cut-out of consumer minister John Taylor to the world's busiest shopping thoroughfare, Oxford Street in London.

Suggestions as to the identity of the mystery cut-out ranged from actor Bob Hoskins to former Russian leader Mikhail Gorbachev. When Mr Taylor, MP for Solihull, was asked about his achievements, he said: "I think I have contributed to the area of unit pricing. I have contributed to ladder safety, where there are 44,000 injuries per year from people falling off ladders and step ladders - and we're working very hard on fireworks." Glenda Cooper