Following the news yesterday, that a Bangkok man who police say was inspired to kill by a videogame took to the streets and murdered a taxi driver in cold blood, the Thai government has taken drastic action.

Bizarrely, the Thai Government actually believes that the videogame Grand Theft Auto IV is to blame for the actions of 19- year old self-obsessed gamer Polwat Chinno and has taken the decision to recall and ban all sales of Rockstar's title from immediate effect.

Chinno gave the excuse to police after the murder, saying it was Grand Theft Auto that motivated him to kill.

"I needed money to play the game every day. My parents give me only 100 baht a day, which is not enough. I am also fed up with them fighting. They are civil servants and do not make good money,'' he said.

Chief investigator Veeravit Pipattanasak told Reuters that "he said he wanted to find out if it was as easy in real life to rob a taxi as it was in the game."

Ladda Thangsupachai, director of the Thai Culture Ministry's Cultural Surveillance Centre, added: "This time-bomb has already exploded and the situation could get worse.

How exactly? The taxi driver is dead, the man has been arrested and he's facing the death penalty. How can it get worse? Surely, he's not saying that there's hundreds of Grand Theft Auto players behind closed doors ready to lose the plot and murder people unless the game is withdrawn immediately?

It's a really poor excuse from Chinno that Grand Theft Auto was to blame. If his parents were fighting it sounds like the real problems lie a bit closer to home.

"Today it is a cab driver, but tomorrow it could be a video game shop owners," said Thangsupachai.

A ridiculous statement we think (Ed. Well you think Steven :) ). We'd guess that Thailand will now look at any future violent videogames with contempt and that the current rating system in the country will be scrutinised and the appropriate changes to legislation made.

It's basically what's happening all across the world.