Regardless of how honest, decent and trustworthy people we are, at times, it’s very easy to bend the truth slightly and slip out a little white lie.

Most of us learn through our parents, who may have told us that carrots made you see in the dark so we’d eat our vegetables, or that Father Christmas would reconsider our new bicycle if we misbehaved.

White lies are an easy way out of a potential row, someone thinking slightly less of you, causing conflict or making a situation unpleasant.

They keep the peace and as long as they’re not used too frequently, are totally harmless and innocent.