It's dealt with."Bare-knuckle battles are part of a growing boxing underworld. Unlicensed boxing, whose fights are not under the auspices of the British Boxing Board of Control, is also springing up nationwide. It is not illegal, but critics say it is far more dangerous than licensed boxing, even though fighters wear gloves and undergo medicals, with doctors on hand. The problem is, they say, that there are no restrictions on age or ability, and some fights are little more than brawls.Frank Maloney has made his living in the licensed boxing world, promoting fighters such as Lennox Lewis "Unlicensed boxing is totally different," he said. "It's like comparing Arsenal with a bunch of lads having a kick-about on a Sunday afternoon with 20 pints inside them. It's dangerous because it's not properly regulated."Ricky English, an unlicensed promoter, has signed up hundreds of fighters in the three years since he started in the fight promotion game.

It is big business - he is organising fights up and down the country, charging spectators up to £50 a head."This is for the novices," he said "Fighters won't go amateur any more. They're sick of all the rules, the standing counts and the tap, tap, tapping They want to have a fight and earn money. And they're earning money."Of 10 fights at a recent event filmed by the BBC at Caesars nightclub in Streatham, south London, one was between two best friends who'd leapt into the ring for "a laugh" - and £150 - when another fight fell through.The headline fight was a grudge bout between a bouncer and another man, who had fallen out at a nightclub. They'd drawn twice before in the ring, and organisers promised a winner this time. After 12 rounds and almost half an hour of battering, the bouncer was beaten.The promoter asks if "any hard nuts" in the crowd want to sign up for a fight A queue develops as his pretty assistant hands out forms. No experience is necessary: one simple application form, a medical, and you're in."It's great fun.

I had one fighter with a glass eye who'd take it out before a fight. Crowds just love it," said Rocky Rowe, who promoted unlicensed fights for many years. "It's a bit like karaoke."Adrian Addison is a reporter for BBC 1's "Six O'Clock News", which screens a two-part special report on the boxing underworld tomorrow and on Tuesday. Three British men released from Guantanamo Bay last week have accused MI5 officers of trying to force them into making false confessions - including using a handgun held to their heads during an interrogation.

Unfortunately this point of difference is precisely the one all the other financial fish folk like too - think of the old lady who says "it doesn't have to be like that" for Natwest, or the First Direct ads which bang on about the sheer human-ness of their responses. Abbey has the first half of its analysis right - people do find banks pretty cold illogical places with silly language We all know that. But - and this is the bit they've missed - they're always profoundly sceptical if a bank goes doo-lally promising them altogether too much human stuff.Peter sru.co.uk. You can go in and show your feelings or share your secretions at any time.