THAT the nanny state mentality has thrived under New Labour has been made plain time and again - with everything from free computers for the 'deprived' to free condoms for promiscuous teenagers.

But don't we get a telling insight into how deep-dyed - and expensive - this outlook is in just three schemes heralded for East Lancashire this past week?

For starters, there was the project soaking up £30,000 of taxpayers' cash to teach pupils at ten primary schools in Blackburn how to cross the road - or, rather, to pay for 'child pedestrian co-ordinators' to train parents to teach their children 'road safety skills.'

I'm all for children being made aware of the dangers of traffic, but isn't this the responsibility of parents without there being any requirement for nanny instructors to pass it on?

Next, in Hyndburn and Blackburn with Darwen, we had council posts advertised - at salary costs not far short £40,000 a year altogether - in order to get the couch potatoes in the community off their backsides and doing some exercise.

High-mindedly, these posts are designed to combat the bane of heart disease that is so prevalent in East Lancashire. But what business is it of local authorities if people prefer to slob about instead - other than to extend their busybody tentacles into people's living rooms?

If this is anybody's job, isn't it that of the NHS - and could it not do with such dollops of public dosh itself?

No, just as we see councils happily ploughing our money into the duplication of other public services, any excuse to extend the handsomely-salaried nanny-state culture is seized upon.