However mad I am feeling in these dark, demented days before Christmas, I keep reminding myself how much worse things could be. I haven’t (yet) carted myself off to hospital claiming to have been attacked by a stranger with a screwdriver – only to admit later that I made it all up.

That is what has just happened to Ulrich Ruther, chief executive of a regional German insurer. About 10 days ago Provinzial NordWest put out a brief statement to the effect that the boss had been stabbed with a screwdriver outside the company’s HQ. A few days later there was a second announcement. “The attack had not taken place in the way it was presented”, the company said.

It spoke darkly of the damage done to the CEO’s family by “turbulence” at the company, which has been a possible takeover target. Mr Ruther wants this “extremely stressful phase” to end, it said.