Seen & heard

The mystery of what some people keep in their private bank safes has been solved. Not ingots of gold bullion but bars of stolen soap - and a ham salad. These were among the more unusual items discovered when a fire at the Credit Lyonnais bank in Paris forced staff to open the boxes. Other, less conventional, items were a felt hat, jam and a bottle of whisky.

However, the more obvious trappings of wealth were also unearthed. One customer emptied his safe of about 100 paintings, including some by Picasso, Matisse and Chagall - kept at the bank because he already had 2,000 hanging in his home.