Yesterday users of designer drugs including mephedrone were told they were playing Russian roulette with their lives.

Several papers yesterday headlined claims that accidental deaths from carbon monoxide poisoning rose sharply in the 12 months to the end of June 2011.

Everybody loves statistics about life expectancy and the ballooning number of centenarians, but is there a risk they could become too much of a good thing?

The Office for National Statistics relaunched its website on August 28, after years of criticism of the old one. But alas, all has not gone entirely to plan.