YOU'RE ON YOUR OWN, TOMMY (via Rick Turley):

We won't be seen to support the war, says M&S as it refuses to send gifts to British troops (Colin Freeman in Baghdad and Jasper Copping, 18/12/2005, Daily Telegraph)

[W]ith Christmas just around the corner, soldiers from the Royal Irish Regiment wrote to five leading stores back home and asked for some stocking-fillers to give the troops next weekend.

But not only were they dismayed to get nothing more than a solitary teddy bear from Harrods, they have been told by Marks & Spencer that it cannot give them any gifts in case it is seen as support for the war.

James Norrie, the M&S customer services manager wrote: "We do appreciate that work like yours is very valuable but unfortunately it is simply not possible for us to support every request. Please be assured that community work is very important to us."

But when contacted by the Sunday Telegraph, Mr Norrie insisted that the request had been properly considered, adding: "The letter I sent was what I had been instructed to send by my supervisor, who said we couldn't send anything out as it would look like we would be supporting the war in Iraq. To my understanding, we can't be seen to be supporting the Labour Government's war."