syslog-ng log output corrupted

[Imre Vida <I.Vida@bio.gla.ac.uk>]

a few days ago syslog-ng stopped working properly on my 
laptop.

Its output consists only of error report lines such as the following:
May  3 06:35:16 sharp syslog-ng[4361]: Log statistics; processed='destination(d_error)=249', processed='cent er(received)=0', processed='src.internal(s_src#1)=206', stamp='src.internal(s_src#1)=1272860716', processed= 'destination(d_syslog)=206', processed='destination(d_xconsole)=268', processed='destination(d_newscrit)=0', processed='destination(d_auth)=74', processed='destination(d_daemon)=77', processed='global(payload_realloc s)=0', processed='global(msg_clones)=0', processed='destination(d_mail)=1354', processed='destination(d_cron)=36', processed='destination(d_kern)=243', processed='destination(d_uucp)=0', processed='destination(d_debu g)=36', processed='destination(d_lpr)=0', processed='destination(d_user)=16', processed='center(queued)=0', processed='global(sdata_updates)=0', processed='destination(d_newsnotice)=0', processed='destination(d_conso le_all)=268', processed='destination(d_console)=1', processed='source(s_src)=2042', processed='destination(d _newserr)=0'
 
This started when the /var partition filled up due to an 
update (without cleaning up old debs before). In an 'emergency'
clean up i deleted also old, compressed log files (as i usually do).

This has happened before without an consequences, but now what ever 
i try (de/reinstall, pure/reinstall) the problem persists.

I switched to sysklogd which work absolutely fine.

I wonder if anybody could give me a hint what went wrong 
and how could i fix this.

Many thanks 

imre

running:
Debian testing
kernel 2.6.31.6
(compiled from source)