Piece of fruit among items reported stolen by government staff

ANY investigation would be sure to prove fruitless.

But that did not stop a member of Scottish Government staff reporting the case of a missing banana to bosses.

Perhaps they were worried a health-conscious thief was on the loose. After all, no one had yet cracked the mystery of who stole a dozen apples.

The bizarre incidents are listed among a host of items which Scottish Government staff have reported lost or stolen over the past five years.

Also on the list were a mountain bike, a business suit, six linen napkins, car keys, several bus tickets, a waterproof jacket, cash, a bottle of champagne and a jar of coffee.

Twenty-five laptops, 20 Blackberries, six mobile phones and three digital cameras also went missing.

The Scottish Government published the list in response to a freedom of information request for a breakdown of all items, both official and personal, which staff had reported lost or stolen between 2005 and 2009.

Sadly, there were few details to explain the missing fruit or under what circumstances the bike, clothing, champagne, coffee or other items had vanished.

The banana was listed as being reported missing on 31 July, 2007, but there was no information about who it belonged to or from where it had disappeared.

The 12 apples, which had been ordered from caterers Sodexho for a meeting, vanished on 15 June, 2006. But again, it was not clear who had ordered them or where.

Sometimes several items went missing on the same day, but otherwise the thefts or losses do not seem to follow any particular pattern.

The champagne went missing on 13 March, 2009, but there is no clue what celebrations it had been earmarked for.

The linen napkins disappeared a week before Christmas in 2007.

A government spokesman said: "Staff will report any items that are stolen or lost, whether they are owned by the organisation or they are personal items.

"We have security staff who will investigate the circumstances of any theft or items that go missing."

He said he did not know the circumstances of the disappearing banana. But he said: "A member of staff perhaps took umbrage at their lunch being stolen.

"But any response from the organisation would be proportionate. I think I can safely say there would not have been a major investigation into the missing banana."

The information released on lost and stolen items did not give any estimate for the value involved.

The spokesman added: "There is no reason to believe thefts or losses are any worse here than in any other public or private sector organisation."