The Royal Society of Chemistry is a wonderful thing. I’m not sure how they decided it was within their remit to run a competition to solve the cliffhanger at the end of the Italian Job but I like to think it’s the sort of thing they ponder during their lunch breaks only.

Around 2,000 people put forward their solutions but it was a gentleman by the name of John Godwin, of Godalming, Surrey, who was named the winner and right after I’ve told his idea, I’ll explain why it just won’t work…