It’s official, we live in a nanny state where we are apparently totally unable to look after ourselves or think independently.

It has driven me mad for years that you could watch a drama on TV and then afterwards a voice would solemnly say “If you or anyone you know has been affected by the issue of xxxxx, call the xxxxx helpline on...........”

Now this madness has found its way onto the evening news! After an item on suicide, the newsreader solemnly came out with the immortal line “If you or anyone you know has been affected.......”.

Are we going to have this type of idiocy after every news item. After all, we’ve all been affected by MPs fiddling their expenses – why no helpline offer there?!

Leave it out, for pity’s sake. The news is the news, not the Samaritans. Full stop. End of!