Mark Andrews: Litter louts, sudden death syndrome, and why are so many young people off work with mental health problems?

They also report the highest rate of mental disorders of all age groups, with more than a third showing symptoms of depression, anxiety or bipolar disorder.

I wonder how much of this is due to school education programmes which appear to exist solely to convince kids they have some sort of condition. In recent months I have heard anecdotal reports of four- and five-year-olds being told 'it's ok not to be ok' in the classroom, and a quick search online reveals a burgeoning industry of businesses flogging 'mental health toolkits' to primary schools.

Four-year-olds should be having fun, not being encouraged to worry about their state of mind. Add to that the attempts to scare all children witless about global warming, it's not hard to see why so many problems emerge a few years down the line.

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Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was struck down by 'sudden death syndrome', said officials at the prison where he was being held. A condition which seems to be disturbingly common for opponents of Vladimir Putin.

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Anybody would think there's a local election in the offing. Walsall councillor Paul Bott has called on the authority to send people on unemployment benefits out on litter-picking duties.

Now I've nothing against the idea in principle, but how is a local council realistically going to enforce that? What penalties can it impose?

Besides, it's a bit rum targeting the unemployed when shoplifters go unpunished. And the punishments are not exactly draconian for litter louts, either.

Maybe its time to change the laws, giving local authorities the power to force litter louts to carry out the work. I can't help but think a couple of hundred hours cleaning the streets, preferably in a Guantanamo-style jump suit, would focus the mind far more than a £70 fine.

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Still, at least you can't accuse Dudley Council of playing to the populist gallery.

Yes, the council tax is going up by five per cent, yes people are being asked to pay to have their grass cuttings collected, and yes taxpayers have been told to expect deep cuts as the council plugs a multi-million black hole in its finances.

Still, there is a bit of good news. Somewhere, in all this financial gloom, the authority has found the money to double the number of traffic wardens. Admit it, that's what you were really want, isn't it?