Once a magnet for the A-list, his last birthday party was attended poignantly by Vernon Kay (also guestlisted for the Presidents Club).

Sliding through the world: that is how, in a bygone age, they used to designate lives like his: looking after his interests, quietly prospering, attracting no attention.

It is, however, different from the North American porcupine, which is a rodent but is a member of the family of Erethizontidae, which is not represented in South America.

In its ongoing efforts to nail the bad guys, the US Department of Homeland Security is investing heavily in the sniff test: odourprint.