27 JULY 2002, Page 33

Costa fortune

From Mr Frederick Forsyth Sir: 1 have just returned from my third (albeit brief) sojourn on the Continent since 1 January. 1 am now convinced that the eurozoners are right; their prices seem to have risen right across the board, from hotels to haricots, taxis to T-shirts, by about 10 per cent since the abolition of their own money.

But Brussels insists its inflation rate is as tiny as ours. Either someone is telling porkies again or the 2002 figures have not come in yet. Of course, by the time they do the German elections will be over. So that's all right. Phew!

Frederick Forsyth

Hertford