Five years ago it was an apocryphal story but I'm afraid today it's a parable.

BBC: NEWS | UK | UK Politics | David Davis speech in full

Apocryphal, surely, but it summed up the hype during Japan's property bubble in the late 1980s.

ECONOMIST: Property in Japan

According to reports which may well be apocryphal Sir Allen had tried to charter a corporate jet near Houston, but was turned away because the operator would not take his credit card.

ECONOMIST: Financial fraud