The Howard League kindly requests...

Free Fletch and Godber!

The second-most important story in the world this morning is, according to the BBC News website,

Do not jail thieves, says law expert

Thieves and fraudsters should not be jailed, a legal expert says in a pamphlet released by the Howard League for Penal Reform.

The anti-prison Howard League, according to the BBC, "plans to distribute the pamphlet, entitled 'What if imprisonment were abolished for property offences?' to every magistrates' court in England and Wales in an attempt to spark a debate on sentencing issues."

The BBC is clearly doing its bit to help the Howard League along with that campaign by making Prof Andrew Ashworth's views such a prominent story. It is probably a safe bet that Today will also be doing its bit this morning.

Still, it's an interesting question and I see that both the Sky News and ITV News websites are covering the story too - albeit placing it much lower down their news agendas.

Update: Ah yes, Today is doing its bit. The programme's live page today has just got underway and says this:

0810: Thieves and fraudsters should not be jailed, a legal expert has said

So, Today is not only doing its bit but actually giving over its prestigious 8.10 spot to the story. The Howard League could not have hoped for anything better than that.