REPORTERS who customarily tote mobile phones be warned - the Central Statistics Office (CSO) is on the lookout for you.

Next Tuesday sees the first publication of the monthly inflation figures from the CSO, figures that will be closely watched by anybody interested in interest rates. A few years ago, a set of quarterly inflation figures were leaked into the market and to The Irish Times ahead of publication time, leading to a huge investigation as to who leaked what to whom which, of course, never discovered anything.

Well, the CSO is taking no chances with next week's figure. Reporters invited to a press briefing on the figures a half hour before they are due to be released have been warned:

"Please note that because of the market sensitivity of the CPI, access to the briefing will be strictly on the condition that those attending remain until the official release time of 12 noon and do not attempt to make outside contact (e.g. using a mobile phone)." No doubt semaphore is banned as well.