The chavs and the chav-nots

The use of the word "chav" shows a deep hatred of the working class and should be stamped out, according to a politically correct think-tank.

Tom Hampson, editorial director of the Fabian Society, says that the word is "sneering and patronising" but more and more widely used.

He has called on broadcasters to take class discrimination seriously, and compares 'chav' to terms of abuse such as "faggot" and "pikey".

In an article to be published in the Fabian Review, Mr Hampson says: "Some uses of some words fall below the threshold of acceptability and some are definitely above it.

"'Chav' is way above that threshold.

"It is deeply offensive to a largely voiceless group and - especially when used in normal middle-class conversation or on national TV - it betrays a deep and revealing level of class hatred."

He continues: "It is sneering and patronising and - perhaps most dangerous - it is distancing, turning the 'chav' into the kind of feral beast that exists only in tabloid headlines."

So that's that then, innit?