10 JUNE 2000, Page 26

Kodak's return

From Mr James T Lyon Sir: If Miss Edwardes (Diary, 27 May) and Mr Fabricant (Letters, 3 June) must be robbed in Europe, they should consider Germany. In 1954, four of us, innocents abroad ina

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Ford Anglia, left the car unattended n Cologne. It was forced open and robbed. MY loss was a modest Kodak, just good enough to have a number. Our first policeman apolo- gised that he was of the Trapo (Trafikpoliza). We must go to the Kripo (Krimin4olizel). `Here is the address.' We went there.

`Sir, you were robbed? Please be seated, Details? Danke. You will hear from us.' 515 months later, the letter arrived in Dundee from the Oberstaatsanwalt Köln: 'We have your camera. Please send [ten shillings] for post and packing.' I had it within days.

James T Lyon

Blossom Drive, Ottawa, Canada