Astonishment over the sudden departure of police and crime commissioner Jason Ablewhite has given way to bewilderment and utter incomprehension at his actions.
That it should be because of messaging on social media (step forward Facebook) is even the more surprising given the controversy over comments that had been made by him about 'pikeys' and which surfaced during his 2016 election campaign.
Social media in the right hands can be a force for good and positivity but it seems politicians - and Mr Ablewhite has been all of that during his 20 years in public life - still manage to terminate their careers through haphazard, ill judged and - possibly - law breaking moments of utter folly.
The public humiliation of Mr Ablewhite should offer sobering food for thought for politicians - and everyone else come to that - over the damage it can cause.
He's not the first to fall from grace in this manner and, sadly, is unlikely to be the last.
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