There are times when this job drives you round the twist.

One of the big stories of the day is the announcement that Newcastle Brown Ale is leaving Tyneside and will be brewed in Yorkshire.

It's a sad day for the region - the loss of an icon - and the news editor explained the implications very clearly in our midday news conference.

I've just seen the pictures to go with the story. They show a Geordie with a beaming smile on his face, cracking open a bottle of Brown Ale in apparent celebration.

You'd think Newcastle United had just won the chuffing Champions League.

"Why the hell does he look so happy?" I asked the photographer who took the pictures.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"Well, it's devastating news for the North-East," I fumed.

"Oh," said the photographer, "the message I got was that Newcastle Brown Ale had been saved."

It's enough to drive you to drink.