I expect Bryan Applyard will sleep happier tonight knowing that the Archer’s stolen sculptures have been recovered following a sensational overnight swoop by police at a Cambridgeshire village.

The boys in blue turned out in full force, with eight police cars swarming to the recovery scene with flashing lights and spent five hours there. I didn’t even know we had that many police in my county! I just hope it was a quiet night crimewise in the rest of the patch.

I often spy the bronze naked shepherds and sheep on the Archer’s manicured lawn when I pop into the neighbouring Orchard Tea Gardens in Grantchester, my favourite summer hideaway where I flop into a deck chair under an apple tree and let the world pass by.

Maybe the thefts will give Lord Archer inspiration for a new book, the thieves might even want to apologise. However, I don’t expect Lord Archer will be sitting on the jury when they face trial, we can guess what his verdict would be….