PEOPLE often ask if they should believe what they read in newpapers. Some papers do make things up and I have to confess that, in the earliest days of my career, I was guilty as charged.

As a trainee reporter on the Scunthorpe Evening Telegraph, my first task was to make up the weather because the forecast hadn't arrived. I stuck my head out of the window and the first words I wrote for a newspaper were "Cloudy, rain later".

The next day, the horoscope didn't arrive so I had to write it: "A tall, dark stranger will come into your life..."

But sometimes, truth is far stranger than fiction. For example, the Deputy Prime Minister has an affair with his secretary and is pictured throwing her over his shoulder at a party.

Her diary revelations heap shame on John Prescott and the Government. Tony Blair strips him of his department but leaves him with the perks: fat salary; grace-and-favour mansion, chauffer-driven car.

Mr Prescott - the toff-bashing hater of all things upper-class - is then photographed playing croquet in the grounds of his ministerial mansion allegedly while he is supposed to be running the country in the Prime Minister's absence.

Mr Prescott is eventually forced to give up his mansion in a desperate bid to save his job. Oh no, you really couldn't make it up.

By the way, it's the Henley Royal Regatta this month. Mr Prescott will probably turn up in the coxless fours and steer his crew off course after quaffing too much Pimms.

THE Northern Echo had planned to launch a campaign called The Olympic Dream last week.

We wanted to raise money through the charity Sports Aid to provide grants for talented youngsters dreaming of glory at the London Olympics.

We persuaded the Newspaper Society to adopt the idea nationally and encourage local newspapers across the country to raise funds for grass roots sport, so important in helping to tackle health and anti-social behaviour problems.

Sadly, the campaign had to be shelved when Olympic lawyers stepped in, warning we would be breaking the law if we used the Olympic symbol, the London 2012 logo, the team Great Britain logo, or the word Olympic, in association with the campaign.

Ironically, during the frantic bidding for the 2012 games, local newspapers were urged to use the Olympic logo as a sign of support and The Northern Echo did its bit every day for months.

North Durham MP Kevan Jones is now lobbying leading lights in Westminster to see if the legal hoops can somehow be negotiated.

Although he's had to leave his croquet lawn behind, perhaps John Prescott, with his newly-discovered interest in grass roots sport, might lend his support.

A POSTSCRIPT to last week's item about the Darlington Philatelic Society landing us with an excess postage bill for £1.02 after sending in a letter which wasn't properly stamped.

A cheque covering the full amount duly arrived with an apology on Thursday. The cheque has, of course, been torn up but it just goes to show what a first-class, honourable bunch they are.