Boy, 7, used his fathers's cheque book

A seven-year-old boy filled out a mail order form for toys worth almost pounds 100 then paid for them with one of his father's cheques.

Austin Collins, 29, a gas engineer, of Killingworth, Tyne and Wear, said the payment was honoured even though the signature had been written in the child-like hand of his son Dean and he had entered neither the amount in words nor the payee.

Mr Collins said: 'We can see the funny side of it now, but I can't believe the bank or the catalogue company didn't realise something was wrong.'

TSB and Kay's, the catalogue company, have apologised and cancelled the transaction.