Payout for child fathered by deep cover PC.

It has been on the news the last couple of days that a woman 'Jacqui' has been awarded nearly half a million pounds in compensation for having a baby with a deep undercover Police Officer.

Apparently he was part of team created to infiltrate protest groups back in the mid 80s and she was one of the activists under investigation.

According to the BBC report, fellow former SDS officer Peter Francis told Radio 4's Today programme that sex was "used by almost everybody who was serving in that unit".

He added that undercover officers were "expected, not ordered" to "engage in relationships" and that while there was no policy on becoming involved in sexual relations, there was "no policy saying that you couldn't either".

Now I have read the report a few times and can see no mention of a gun being held to Jacqui's head forcing her to have sex.

There is no mention of her having a gun held to head forcing her to keep the child.

The sex was obviously consensual.

To all intents and purposes, Jacqui had a relationship with a man, didn't marry him but had his child and he then disappeared.  Unfortunately, this is not an unusual occurrence.

So why is this pay out of taxpayers' money justified?

Save £1000 in a day!

As always happens around this time of the year newspapers and magazines are full of ways to save money so I thought I would have a go.

1.  Apparently if you have more bedrooms than people in a house, then you can save with a water meter.

My current annual water bill is £320, according to the Water Meter Calculator my annual water usage would cost £221.

£99 saved.

Total: £99 saved.

2.  You can claim a tax rebate if you wear a uniform which you are responsible for washing/laundering yourself.

I do not wear a uniform.

£0 saved.

Total: £99 saved.

3.  Check that you are receiving the correct child benefits.

I have no children.

£0 saved.

Total: £99 saved.

4.  Earn £125 by switching banks

Due to my credit score (which I am working hard to improve) I am currently unable to change banks.

£0 saved.

Total: £99 saved.

5.  Check that you are on the best energy tariff.

I check my tariffs every year and move as necessary.

£0 saved.

Total: £99 saved

6.  Analyse your budget.  Are you spending more than you earn?

I don't have a credit card, neither do I have an overdraft, therefore, if I haven't got it, I can't spend it!

£0 saved.

Total: £99 saved.

7.  Sign up for free monthly tea and cake at John Lewis, or a free daily coffee at Waitrose.

I have neither John Lewis nor Waitrose locally.

£0 saved.

Total: £99 saved.

8.  Haggle down other utilities.

I phoned Virgin last year and said I was cancelling, I had £5 a month knocked off my bill.  Unfortunately this has been wiped out by the annual price increase.

£0 saved.

Total: £99 saved.

9.  Reclaim mis-sold PPI.

I have never been mis-sold PPI, I have always fully understood it and refused it if I felt it was not necessary.

£0 saved.

Total: £99 saved.

10.  Check around for better mortgage deals.

I do not have a mortgage, the house is fully paid off.

£0 saved.

Total: £99 saved.

11.  Check around for a better car insurance deal.

I do not have a car.

£0 saved.

Total: £99 saved.

12.  Check around for a better credit card deal.

I do not have a credit card.

£0 saved.

Total: £99 saved.

So whilst £99 is a good start, it is far, far short of the £1000 predicted, and frankly, by the time I have taken a day's annual leave to have the meter fitted, I am not going to be making a saving.

Has anyone else tried to save £1000 in a day?

Everyone is pregnant and I want to join that club!

OK, that may be a slight exaggeration but I have at least two friends who are currently pregnant.  I have had some time out of the office recently and everywhere I go there are pregnant women too.

When I was younger, relationships and children never featured in my 'life plan'.  As I've mentioned before dire warnings from my parents about pregnancy whilst still living at home made me make myself as unattractive to the opposite sex as I could as I had wound myself up until I was under the impression that even a male looking at me could make me pregnant.

So I shut off that part of the brain that encompasses motherhood and reproduction.

But as I have got older so my desire to have a child has increased to the point it has almost become a need.

I know I could go to a sperm bank, I assume that they are available to all I have never checked, I may have just been watching too many American tv shows, but I am old fashioned.  I believe that a child should have both parents living in the same house at least, even if they aren't married.  I cringe when I hear how casually some young people tell others that their child is at his or hers Dad's house for the weekend as though that is how it should be.

At the age of 42 I have to be realistic and accept that I am never going to be a Mum, I am never going to have something so small and helpless depending on me for everything.  I am never going to have someone to mould to the best of myself and his or her Dad.  No tiny knees to stick plasters on when they fall over.  No stick people drawings to display on the fridge.

I don't know whether I would make a good mother, but I am guessing I will never find out.