IT S been one of those ''it could only happen in Hampstead'' weeks for the Ham&High. Purchasers of the paper today will already have read, on page one, of the bid to bring more naked bathing to the Heath, alongside the alarming story that police are keeping DNA records of children barely old enough to be out of primary

IT'S been one of those weeks on the Ham&High. You will already have read, on page one, of the bid to bring more naked bathing to the Heath, alongside the alarming story that police are keeping DNA records of children barely old enough to be out of primary school, on the off chance that they turn out to be the rogues of tomorrow.

Our third front page story, featuring the plight of Derek McCarrick, who receives a CBE from The Queen and a �185 parking penalty from Camden Council, is also bound to raise an eyebrow or two.

Then there's admired human rights lawyer Geoffrey Robertson up in arms about the criminal loss of the golf and tennis school at Regent's Park and, on the page opposite this, the heartwarming story of the Filipino transexual who leads a risque dance troup at night but cares for sick babies at the Royal Free during the day.

Turn the page from here and there's an interview with the new man in charge of Hampstead Heath, another with the newsagent who didn't quite make the grade in Britain's Got Talent (he should be so lucky) and the Mongolian contortionist now living in West Hampstead who has just twisted her way into the Guinness Book of Records. All this and you haven't even reached page eight! Only in Hampstead, as they say...

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