DIFFICULT conversations have become one of the big issues of the times. North Yorkshire Police raised the tricky topic this week of approaching the thorny problem of telling relatives and friends it could be time they gave up driving.

It came after reports that a couple in their nineties had spent 15 hours driving around on a 20 mile journey from Knaresborough to Thirsk. The trip should have taken between 30 to 40 minutes and after calls to the police from worried passers by in the early hours of the morning officers found the confused couple and guided them home.

After advising the driver to give up and referring the matter to the licensing authority officers said: "It’s a difficult conversation to have, but be honest with your relatives and friends you have medical concerns over, tell them to stop and report them to DVLA."

Talking about difficult conversations, Spectator found it was very tricky having a discussion with the police about this case which really raised so many issues. The police press office said they couldn't help, although they could only be contacted through email, and referred us to the Roads Policing Group through facebook.There is no upper age limit for driving. All licecnes have to be renewed at 70 and every three years but it's just a form. Medical issues are supposed to play a part but as we all realise with advancing age what we think applies to us is not always what other people may think applies.So that's where the difficult conversation comes in. Telling the nearest and dearest they should give up driving, or doing their own shopping or changing their approach to life because of Covid-19 is always going to be tricky but a nettle we might all have to grasp, or take notice of.