A view on the news.

Poor old Gordon Brown has lost so many chums he may have to jam a knife in the cupboard door, run backwards and stab himself in the back. But that is not the news story that interests Dr Sardonicus today. No it's a rather more horrible story. A 7 year old girl was starved to death by her parents deliberately. The truly shocking thing was her parents were visited by social services 3 times, who didn't see anything wrong. Because the parents didn't let them in.

eh?

Are our social services being trained in investigations by old episodes of Dixon of Dock Green? "It's a fair cop you've got me banged to right I was abusing my kid, I'm a right bad 'un that I am."

The problem is that social services is so mired in the public eye that it's the shame that causes the problems. At least in Dr Sardonicus's view. The fear and guilt has lead to social services at times being inundated by malicious complaints. Don't believe me hang out in your local job centre, Greggs or other places where Burberry is still derigeur. And listen in on the conversations.

"So I called social services on him..." or "She told social services my Derrick XXXX'd the Doberman in front of the kids."

The complaint to social services seems to be the equivalent of a hellfire missile strike on her who pinched your Derrick, or them's that thinks they're better than they are. And I suspect it works the same for those that shop at Waitrose and get cross.

Dr Sardonicus believes that the less we judge, the less guilt there is. Is there a better way of identifying those that are struggling and need help.

That and shooting the Daily Mail journalist who periodically suggests that social service departments are white slavers.