One description of the new plastic £5 note it's wise not to use is finger-lickin' good.

When a reader learned from the Bank of England that "there is a trace of tallow in the polymer pellets" used to manufacture the note, he was anxious about its kosher status: what happens if you were to put your fingers to your lips after touching it?

Given the chemical process the animal fat has undergone and the miniscule quantities of it, rabbis are hardly likely to fret. But eager to oblige, I contacted a reputable authority to make sure. There is no difference, he said, between it and other products such as candles or soap.

And who eats candles or soap, never mind £5 notes?