Mark Wilson (Fryers Food store, Nottingham), has added to the discussion over murky vodka. He tells me that another retailer, in Nottingham’s city centre, reportedly bought £1K-worth of vodka, which turned into a court case when a woman customer realised that sight in her right eye was deteriorating.

“I get very angry with these retailers,” he says, “and with the consumers who expect us to be as cheap.”

Yes, good point.

Some sort of education/reminders are needed.

I also received a huge moan from Ajay Soni regarding B&M Stores. He deplores the prices on offer for alcohol (and this time we are not talking counterfeit). He cites: 2013 dated Carling and Fosters being sold at 69p Stella Artois, dated 2013, selling for 79p 4 x Stella Cidre for £1.99.

He says: “There’s nowhere legally I can buy these products for/and legally sell anywhere near these prices, not even when bought from supermarkets, as prices have never gone this low.”

He observes that people get used to these low prices and will never want to pay “a normal price” again.

He has tried, without success, to drum up some interest from assorted manufacturers who, he says, don’t seem to care about loss leaders. •