Christopher Elliot, the preposterously named “Guardian Readers’ Editor”, has been pontificating this morning. This email went out to all the editorial staff about how to address the clearly top-of-his-game Mad Dog of the Middle East:

To: editorial.gnm
11:03

Dear Colleagues,

We are receiving a steady stream of emails from doctors and mental health campaigners complaining of the constant and often casual references to Col Gadaffi’s mental state in print and online. Even Col Gadaffi gets the benefit of the Guardian’s editorial code and the campaigners are right, we are breaching our guidelines on the way we use mental health terms in relation to him so please be aware in news, comment and features to avoid inappropriate language.

Chris

You couldn’t make it up…