YEARS ago there was a programme called ‘That’s Life’ which those of us of a certain age will remember.

And there was a brilliant section in it where people were given the runaround so much that it was either a choice of pull their hair out, belt someone or write into Esther Rantzen in the hope that she could help.

Someone I know is having that self-same runaround. For those of you who know the area down by Honeywell Sports Centre, there is a tunnel which is single track and so governed by a pair of traffic lights. Except you can’t see one and you won’t be able to see the second one soon because it’s starting to look like the land that time forgot.

A frustrated resident had this runaround last year trying to get the foliage cut. Eventually the council did come out.

However we are back at square one again. They have been sorted further up but weirdly not there where they quite clearly need to be.

For months now, he’s been chasing them to do something before the trees got to the stage that they’re at now. He’s been given the right royal passing from pillar to post. The council has said that it’s the sports centre’s problem. The sports centre said it’s the council’s problem.

The council sent him to Twiggs, the ground maintenance people. They sent him back to the council.

The council passed him to a councillor who said the line that would have caused a proper titter on That’s Life, ‘what’s it got to do with me?’

So there we are folks. Alas we have no That’s Life team to help. But if the council cut all the foliage down last year, why are they suddenly turning the sort of blind eye that Holly Willoughby would be proud of? Is it really that big a problem to own and sort? Barnsley Council – over to you. Again.

WHATEVER your thoughts about Phillip Schofield, his observations that ITV was a wonderful family to work for were probably true – in his eyes.

He was their golden boy and of course everyone was nice to him and gave him his every wish. But working life would not have been the same for those lower down in the pecking order who wouldn’t have had the freedom to shout up if anything was wrong.

I’ve worked in the most toxic environment you could imagine.

The ones at the top of the ladder could do what they liked. I’ve seen people who were bullied until they were ill and ‘managed out of the door’ as Dr Ranj Singh said happened to him at ITV.

I’m not surprised that a lot of people who have left are still bitter years after. So am I after what happened to me. That sense of injustice has a half-life of decades.

And HR aren’t exactly independent ombudsmen – they aren’t going to go against the head honchos, so people who fall foul of the big guys either have to resign or are winkled out on some pretext.

Fighting costs – health, money and time. I’m totally fascinated by this whole saga and such a big company being exposed and I hope all this has ramifications for other such businesses.

But Phillip – you’re totally fooling yourself if you think you’ve had the same experience at ITV than one of the ‘menials’ you ignored on a daily basis, who had to put up and shut up in order to cling onto a desperately needed salary.