Letter: Rightful heirs to Churchill's papers

Sir: In virtually every employment contract with which I have been concerned - and there have been thousands - employees are reminded that anything they write during the course of their employment, and relevant to that employment, remains the property of the employer.

It is astonishing that the Churchill family claims ownership of such documents, written by an employee of the state, however eminent, and even more remarkable that the Government should condone their purchase from the contributions of so many pensioner participants in the National Lottery who themselves took part in the war in which Churchill led them.

Yours faithfully,

ROBERT SANDOW

London, W4

27 April