Baroness Elizabeth Manningham-Buller (school nickname 'Bullying Manner'), head of MI5 from 2002 to 2007, has denied knowledge of the American use of torture. Betty B-M is reported to have wondered how they got information from Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, who was water-boarded over 160 times, but was apparently satisfied with the answer that 'he was proud of what he had done'.

This singular lack of enquiry is extra-ordinary. If ever a job required someone to ask questions and challenge answers, surely it was hers. It is also an amazing indictment of British Intelligence. They did not know what one of their closest allies was doing, when large numbers of the general public did? Talk about dumb and dumber, the Keystone Kops had nothing on this lot.

Betty has no doubt retired with a handsome pension, which she seems to have acquired under false pretences and should therefore hand back.

But wait a minute! Maybe she was not telling the truth! Shock horror - a spook telling lies! Isn't that their job?

Trouble is, the mainstream media only reports, it does not investigate. The BBC reports her as a 'kind person' who still cooks a family roast each Sunday. aaah, bless, isn't that nice.

What we need are investigative journalists who dig below the surface and take comments from people like Betty Bullying Manner with a whole truck load of salt.