The case of the Marks and Spencer avocado can tell us, sadly, rather a lot about the fears and prejudices that exist around hiring people with convictions or those who have served time in jail.

“A woman, a teacher who wanted to retrain as a social worker, rang us up because she was worried about an avocado she had stolen from Marks and Spencer in 1972 and what the effect might be of disclosing this,” explains Selina Corkery, services, publications and information manager at crime reduction charity Nacro.