[SLUG] E: Unable to parse package file /var/lib/dpkg/status (1)

[Adam Bogacki <afb@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> E: Unable to parse package file /var/lib/dpkg/status (1)
> E: The package lists or status file could not be parsed or opened.


I'm seeing an awful lot of this error message at the moment.
It comes up whenever I try to 'apt-get update', 'apt-get remove', 'dselect'.

I have not been able to update or upgrade for 3-4 weeks
- a large backlog in unstable - and cannot remove or delete files.

I have tried replacing file 'status' with 'status-old', with no change.

Someone called 'No Spam' on debian-user asked me to send them a copy of 
'status'
promising to unearth a script they had used to fix a similar problem.

I did so, but have not heard from them since.

If anyone here can be of assistance I'll send them a copy, but am wary 
of posting
it to this list - too large ?

Adam Bogacki,
afb@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx