IF Cherie Blair was appealing for widespread public sympathy, she used the wrong tactic when she complained about her children losing sleep in the run-up to the Hutton Inquiry.

Because most people's thoughts will still be with those children and families losing sleep because their loved ones are not going to return from Iraq. Sadly, the Hutton report will do little to relieve their insomnia.

REMEMBER the public outcry when Coronation Street's Deirdre was imprisoned for a crime she didn't commit? There were questions in the House of Commons and Prime Minister Tony Blair even backed the campaign to free the Weatherfield One. Now plucky pensioner and all-round decent citizen Rita Sullivan has been imprisoned after giving magistrates a piece of her mind. She couldn't believe they were fining her for assault when all she did was clip a thieving youngster - whose greedy mother is hell-bent on a huge compensation pay-off - round the ear. Will Tony be raising the matter in Parliament? Or is his mind on other things?

IN the week that grieving North-East father Raymond Steel launched a campaign to help promote water safety, following his son David's tragic death in a fishing accident just over a year ago, another youngster, 12-year-old Rhys Jones, died playing with friends on a makeshift raft in a fast-flowing river. Chillingly, as the mother of a 12-year-old boy myself, I could all too easily picture Rhys and his friends, clearly energetic, imaginative, resourceful boys, enjoying adventurous fun one minute, the next caught up in tragedy. The thought of it is unbearable. Clearly the boys were in great danger. But the last thing we want is to risk scaring youngsters from exploring the great outdoors. They might be safe glued to the PlayStations in their bedrooms but what sort of a life is that? Mr Steel describes David as: "A real outdoor, life-loving lad." Hopefully his campaign will make other outdoor, life-loving boys more aware of danger and encourage them to play safely. That is the key.

GEORGE Best said his drink driving charge this week was "a set-up". In court, he blamed an argument with his son Calum for causing him to set off drunk behind the wheel, before heading for the pub to continue the onslaught on his damaged second liver. Meanwhile Alex, whom George has been slagging off all week, revealed on I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here that she has a phobia about slimy snakes. So how come she stayed married to one for so long?

WRITER Lynda La Plante has been criticised for adopting a baby son at the age of 57. "Lorcan is such a blessing - a miracle, an absolute joy. My gift from God," she says. Lynda, who split from her husband seven years ago, has longed for a child for 30 years and endured every kind of fertility treatment as well as four miscarriages. She may not have the energy of a younger mum and may not be around for her grandchildren. It's not an ideal situation. But few families are perfect. And when you consider how many unwanted, neglected, even abused children there are in Britain today, how can we condemn a woman who has fought so hard and suffered so much because she is so desperately committed to being a mother? Lynda can only do her best for Lorcan. And I suspect Lynda's best is very, very good indeed.