Leading article: Something fishy

If Scotland has its Loch Ness monster, Whitby its Dracula, Devon its big cats, why shouldn't Cornwall have its great white sharks? It's lacked a bit of badness since the pirates ceased operation, never mind a little frisson to scare all those drunken scions of the rich and privileged. Not that you'd ever get a scientist to see the point. Great white sharks may have been here in the past, sniff the marine biologists, but after all the overfishing of the Bay of Biscay, they very much doubt the creatures are still around.

But what do they know about it? The fishermen say they've seen them; the locals believe it and, what is more important, the West Country could do with the publicity. Sharks may be bad for the swimming business, but they do wonders for the gruesome reputation of a place. "Jaws Part 6". Think of the eager crowds it could bring to watch the maneaters circling their prey among the surfers.