The name's Sawers, John Sawers. The new head of MI6 may stand accused of being less than prudent about his own security, with the publication of personal details – and photographs – on his wife's Facebook page (now taken down). But in other respects, the embarrassing information leak has at least proved Sawers fit to step into the trunks – sorry, shoes – of one of the UK's top intelligence posts.
Be honest: when you saw the photo of Sawers, John Sawers, in his fetching, stripy blue swimming trunks, only one thought went through your head: yes, the famous scene of James Bond, played by Daniel Craig, stepping out of the sea in Casino Royale.
If you look carefully (HEALTH WARNING: don't look too carefully at Sawers, or you may end up shaken rather than stirred) the trunks even have the same colours on them.
Some ungenerous souls may suggest that Sawers, John Sawers, is more comparable to some of the people who have posted not particularly funny parodies on YouTube of the famous beach scene. But Bond has long been revered around the world and struck fear into the hearts of evildoers. Now Britain at last has a real-life hero to show the world that the antics of 007 are far from fantasy.
