Apart from its ads for specious slimming products, Sunday’s El Mundo also treated us to a gory picture of a crocodile with a man’s arm in its mouth. You may have missed this in Northern Europe and the USA.

The quality newspaper to the left of the political centre – El Pais - yesterday ran an editorial on the recent EU report which viciously criticised the Spanish government for allowing the despoliation of the country’s coastline by avaricious and amoral builders and corrupt town hall officials. It called for something to be done but effectively admitted this was unlikely, given that both local and national parties benefited greatly from this rape. All very sad. And, as the paper said, it does nothing for Spain’s reputation.

Seeing more and more of them every time I make a trip into the hills – and being sceptical about their real benefit and suspicious of the economics – I’m sympathetic to a report that 75% of people living near wind turbines in the UK believe the noise they make is ruining their health and quality of life. They also felt that the constant hum and the loud "whooshing" sound made by the blades in high winds are destroying the value of their homes. As I’ve said before, where is Don Quixote when you need him? Except he didn’t manage to destroy any, did he?

Finally, I again encourage all drivers to check their tyre pressures after their car has been serviced. Mine were recently over-inflated 10 and 30%[!] by the dealer and the tyre shop, respectively.