Credit crunch or not - banks have lent £400,000 to one Spanish activist who then promptly passed the loot on to various campaigning groups. "What could be better than robbing the ones who rob us and distributing the money among the groups which are denouncing this situation and building alternatives?" asked Enric Dura, acting under the pseudonym, Robin Hood.

Enric persuaded a total of 39 banks to lend his fake TV production company cash, even soliciting the help of a government agency to broker a loan on one occasion.

The outlaw then promptly published details of his blag in 200,000 'how to do it' newsletters distributed by his mates in and around Barcelona.

Bankers were none too pleased. "It is not permissible for someone to laugh at the system like this," commented one, Jordi Mestre, director general of the Caixa Sabadell savings bank.

Except it is - so far the police have not received a single request from any of the embarrassed banks to track Enric down. He is believed to have fled the country - for Sherwood Forest no doubt - and presumably used a 'Mr R. Hood' credit card to buy his ticket!