Rubbish Security

Security is tight at the Bundesbank headquarters in Berlin, as befits a bank that stores several millions of euros behind yards of reinforced steel and concrete.

But in these paranoid times, many will be alarmed to learn that even bullet-proof glass and surveillance cameras are not enough to stop information ending up in the wrong hands. In fact, security at Germany's central bank is ...well, a load of rubbish.

Striking gold

Across town in the fashionable neighbourhood of Friedrichshain, a German hairdresser was astonished to find a plastic bag containing classified plans for the Bundesbank's new safe in garbage cans in his very own backyard.

The plans detailed "floor thickness, movement detector placements, doors, passageways and barred gates" reported mass circulation daily Bild.

"These plans are secret," was witten at the top of the page in bold capitals.

Not any more they're not -- after Bild splashed them across the pages of its Thursday edition.

Damage limitation

The Bundesbank headquarters in the Charlottenburg district were recently renovated and enlarged to the tune of 156 million euros.

Officials from the bank suspect the plans went missing during the construction work.

Bundesbank spokesman Albrecht Sommer told Bild the bank intended "to come up with an explanation as soon as possible."

"We will check to see how this could have happened," Sommer was quoted as saying. "Right now we have to make sure no more worksite plans are out there."