20 JUNE 1987, Page 22

Neil's number up

Sir: Andrew Neil thinks (Letters, 13 June) I said that the Sunday Times spent £850,000 on the serial rights of its Profumo book. Odd. I didn't. This wonderful figure related to what it was claimed the paper would be spending on the book altogether, including promotion. I was startled to read it in the Bookseller for 25 April, which is why in an unusual outburst of conscien- tiousness I rang the book's publishers to ask if it would be correct to cite it.

Mr Neil would have known where the number came from. But I daresay he is in a temper about having bought the wrong book.

David Sexton

32 Gordon Place, London W8