Now, now children, play nicely. A fight has broken out in Fleet Street with journalists at The Daily Mirror accusing The Independent of foul play over the title's "Fair Tips, Fair Pay" campaign.
Back in April, the Mirror joined forces with the Unite union to launch a "fair tips charter" calling on hospitality employers to end the (legal) practice of topping up minimum wage with tips and demanding that the Government closes the loophole that allows them to do it.
Unite has been running the campaign since last September, when it launched with a protest outside Pizza Express at Haymarket and Smollensky's on the Strand
Then two weeks ago, The Independent decided - with the traditionally news-light silly season approaching - to jump on the bandwagon with its own campaign.
The Indy gave the campaign more welly than the Mirror, launching with a front-page splash and following up almost daily with "revelations" about the tipping policy of a number of high-street operators.
But Daily Mirror investigations editor Andrew Penman is not a happy bunny, claiming that the launch article appeared to be based largely on research carried out by his paper.
He also said that The Independent's campaign was launched days after reports that Prime Minister Gordon Brown was likely to close the loophole in minimum pay law that allows restaurants to keep tips.
In an interview with journalist trade paper Press Gazette, Penman said: "As a journalist seeing your work lifted, that happens but you can live with it. What's utterly disgraceful is taking over a campaign that's been run by Unite for several years - and doing so when you know that the PM has already said he's backing it."
"The only worthwhile campaigns are the ones you are going to struggle to win. This is a long-standing campaign that The Indy is trying to pass off as its own after it has already been successful. It's like joining the Allied side in the Second World War on 28 April 1945."
Independent editor Roger Alton said the campaign was prompted by a piece written by Independent columnist Johann Hari. Alton said he was having lunch at the Groucho Club when the campaign idea was put to him and he decided to back it after talking to one of the waiters there.
He told Press Gazette: "Nobody has nicked anyone else's research. This is complete bollocks. I can't believe newspapers are going around shit bagging other newspapers in order to protect people on the minimum wage."
Say what you feel Rog.
What do you think about the ongoing tips campaign? Let us know.
Check out our dedicated page on tips, rounding up all the news, analysis and opinion on the controversy.
Update: July 28. Both papers today claimed victory in the campaign, after John Hutton, the business secretary, confirmed that the Government would close the loophole. The Mirror, in true red top fashion, labelled it "exclusive" of course.
