When did we change from being a nation of curtain-twitching old biddies into one of full-on super-snitches?

First a retired teacher (male) reported Dominic Cummings to the police (I mean — can you imagine actually doing that?) for getting into his own car with two members of his own household and driving 260 miles to ensure the safety of his child? One day after doing almost the same thing himself? Another professional snitch, who invented a second sighting, has now said he made up the story as ‘a little bit of comedy value’.