DRUG 'HOAX' SHUTS ASSEMBLY EMAILS

Drugs In Britain: Special Report

Embarrassed officials have been forced to shut the electronic bulletin
boards in the national assembly for Wales after a junior employee
advertised cannabis for sale.

The unnamed clerical support worker, who is understood to have worked
in the assembly's health division, was asked to leave the Cardiff Bay
building after posting what he claims was a hoax email message on the
internal computer system last week.

The message used cockney rhyming slang to suggest a small quantity of
the drug was for sale. The man, who was on his last day of work in the
assembly, was interviewed by senior staff before being shown the door.

A spokeswoman said an investigation was being held to determine
whether or not the message was a hoax. She added: "To our knowledge no
drugs were sold." But the matter had been referred to the police.

The email was placed on the bulletin board on the assembly's intranet
system where members customarily use the small ads space to advertise
more prosaic needs.

Internal rules stress that the sale and wanted boards are strictly for
personal items and that adverts of a commercial nature are not allowed.

Although the precise nature of what is permissible is unclear, staff
are warned that when it comes to "profitable hobbies" the best test
might be whether the taxman would consider the income negligible.

Yesterday, both boards had been suspended.

It is not the first time the assembly's computer system has been the
cause of embarrassment. On one occasion a schoolboy visiting the
building sent a threatening message to a friend from the assembly's
debating chamber. Unfortunately the email was also picked up by an
assembly member.

More recently an official sending an aide memoire to his own home
computer accidentally emailed confidential documents to journalists
suggesting the beef on the bone ban could be reintroduced.