The most ridiculous story in the news has to be the move by councillors in the town of Rochdale to decrease the number of holes in saltshakers at fish and chips shops from 17 to 5. The move has been rightly condemned as a proliferation of the "nanny state" and a waste of taxpayer's money running to thousands of pounds.

Added to this is another important concern that should be raised: the risk of your chips going cold in the process of trying to get a decent amount of salt on them.