Leith gets egg on her face for wild omelette

Prue Leith, the restaurateur and cookery school owner, could face prosecution from the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds after revealing that she makes omelettes from the eggs of Canada geese, a practice that is illegal and carries heavy fines. Leith disclosed her habit in an interview in the July issue of Good Housekeeping magazine, in which she said she often raids a nest at the bottom of her garden to whisk up something special for guests.

She said: "Four of us had the most delicious omelette from Canada Geese who nest near my pond (and no, I didn't take all the eggs) with the combined leftover salads from yesterday's lunch - a lentil and tomato one and a coleslaw."

A spokesman for RSPB is unimpressed. "If it was believed to be a criminal act it would be a matter for the police. There are severe penalties if this was found to be the case." Leith, however, insists her innocence. "As far as I know it is not illegal and I need to keep the numbers down."