I wouldn’t. They can’t even get Number 10’s database-driven petition website to work properly.

Link here. Screenshot above accurate as of 16:25pm, 1st February 2008.

Sometimes, in my gloomier moments, I start believing that I attract incompetent bureaucrats in the same way that some people are a magnet for mosquitoes.

Years ago I signed up for an unlimited dial-up internet service from NTL. It cost £15 per month and, given the amount I used it, it was a good deal. Then, a bit later on, I signed up for a broadband package from another supplier.

I didn’t for a long time get round to cancelling the direct debit with NTL. In time the company was taken over by Virgin Media and, eventually, I rang up to cancel my dial-up service.

I was told that I would have to pay the present month’s £15, and the following month’s £15 before the service was cancelled. “Are you happy with that?” asked the voice on the end of the line. “I suppose I’ll have to be,” I replied.

So I let the two lots of £15 leave my account and then, because I take a fairly cynical view about big companies’ abilities to complete simple tasks that aren’t to their benefit, I cancelled the direct debit using my online banking facility.

I thought no more of it until today, when I got a letter from a debt recovery agency demanding £15 on Virgin Media’s behalf.

Thanks lads.

Naturally, I’m not going to pay it. The woman at the debt agency says she will get in touch with Virgin and then get back to me. Something tells me, though, that I’m in for a hell of a lot of hassle over money I don’t owe. And I bet that Virgin will spend a lot more than £15 before I get them to admit their mistake

In other news, I took a trip up to Bruce Castle Museum, inspired by Diamond Geezer’s recent visit. It was closed. It doesn’t open on Tuesdays. So I pushed the baby around a drizzly park, in which there were few people bar a load of bored 30 and 40-somethings playing on the swings.

Something tells me it’s not my day.