THE public mood over rewarding failure with fat bonuses should be abundantly clear by now.

Ordinary people, having to cope with pay cuts or freezes in the midst of the worst global recession in a generation, have been left thoroughly sickened by the excesses of the banking industry.

The award of six-figure bonuses to the bosses of Network Rail – despite serious performance issues on the West Coast Main Line – stoked up further public outrage yesterday.

We share that anger because delays and inconvenience for passengers should result in reduced rewards for the highly-paid executives responsible for maintaining an efficient service.

Bonuses should be used to reward above-average achievement – not incompetence.

Unforgettable

THE sudden death of Michael Jackson has spread shock and sadness to the furthest corners of the world. As one of the most famous people on the planet, his passing, at the age of 50, has had a global effect not seen since the death of Princess Diana.

The sense of loss for millions of fans will be made worse by the fact that the twilight of his career was marred by controversy, lurid child abuse allegations, and an alarming descent into a freak show existence.

What happened to the cute child star, oozing talent and bubbling with happiness, who ended up a recluse, scarred by grotesque plastic surgery?

We hope he will be remembered, not for the strangeness of recent years, but for the unforgettable music he produced.