Column Eight: Robbers in the red

Bank of Scotland's chief inspector, Tom Abraham, is resorting to an ingenious method to catch bank robbers: exploding banknotes. The bank is coy about revealing details of its canny new system, part of a pounds 4m effort to beef up security.

Somehow, the raider escaping with a sackful of loot finds after he leaves the bank that it explodes in a puff of red dye. The banknotes are ruined. And the robber - red-faced in every sense - is instantly identifiable and easily collared.

Something of a whispering campaign seems to be going on about George Greener, the former Mars marketing chief who now chairs Allied Dunbar. The insurance industry is suddenly awash with rumours about his religious beliefs.

His press office is happy to set the record straight. Yes, Mr Greener has a strong interest in Zen Buddhism. No, he does not believe he is the reincarnation of the Egyptian dog god Anubis. 'Utterly ludicrous,' says his spokesman, Matthew Butler.

More Maxwelliana is coming up for sale. Sotheby's is auctioning the contents of the dead man's personal wine cellar at a sale on 18 November and aims to recoup pounds 30,000- pounds 40,000 for his creditors. Treasures among the 237 cases include a single bottle of Chateau Mouton Rothschild 1945, expected to fetch pounds 600- pounds 800. There are even a few cases of English wine.

Seekers after a little slice of history (or a big snort of Chateau Margaux 1961) can attend a tasting the day before. Unfortunately, you have to buy a pounds 7 catalogue to get in. 'If you didn't have a catalogue, you wouldn't be serious,' explains a lady at New Bond Street.

Lord Wolfson, the philanthropic chairman of Great Universal Stores, has something to take his mind off sluggish sales in the mail order-to- Burberry giant. His salary has been raised pounds 35,000 to pounds 341,600.

In early November 1492 two lieutenants of Columbus returned from the hinterland of Cuba to report to their captain that they had seen the natives inhaling smoke from rolls of lighted dry leaves - and apparently liking it too.

While a learned international conference takes place next week in Havana to discuss the discovery of tobacco, City bigwigs are planning a rather more indulgent celebration at Mosimann's Club in Belgravia, London, on Monday. The air will be thick with the fumes of Romeo y Juliettas, Cohibas and Montecristos, I'm told.