The madness of the nanny state seems to know no bounds. Staff at government-run jobcentres in Manchester have been told that Christmas decorations are a safety hazard and that they cannot put decorations on office ceilings in case someone falls off a desk or chair in the process.
Lee Sharrock, a business services manager at Land Securities Trillium, which is responsible for the buildings, spelt out the potential hazards in an e-mail.
"It is important that we pay attention to the health and safety implications," he said. "Falling decorations outside of office hours have triggered the intruder alarm in the past.
"Decorations already put up, and which do not conform to the above criteria, must be removed immediately."