When did it happen? When did we become this ugly society where violent crime is an accepted part of life? See how our reactions are blunted, how hard it is for anything to shock us any more.

Acid thrown at two teenagers causes life-changing injuries? Oh, not again! Now, where did I put the Radio Times? A drive-by shooting on a street in broad daylight leaves an innocent girl dead? Mild flicker of dismay. Thinks: must call daughter to check she’s OK.

Man drives car at speed into cyclists on Westminster Bridge in an alleged copycat terrorist attack? Well, at least nobody died this time, quite lucky really. Another man is stabbed to death on a London street as police announce an inquiry into the murder of a nurse at her home in Teddington? Resigned shrug. Well, it’s the 100th such investigation in the capital this year. What do you expect?

The outrage tank is empty. Truly, it’s shocking how unshockable we are.

“It’s practically one a day,” John Humphrys said on the Today programme. It certainly feels like that. Last year, violent crime soared by 20 per cent, with 1.5 million offences recorded, and those are just the ones the police bother to write down. God knows what the actual figure is.