OK... after startup and from a Terminal window, just calling the /etc/init.d/proftpd script creates the missing directory and starts the proftpd daemon fine!

[CODE]
graham@gt-desktop:~$ ls -l /var/run
total 44
-rw-r--r-- 1 root       root          4 2010-06-12 00:54 acpid.pid
srw-rw-rw- 1 root       root          0 2010-06-12 00:54 acpid.socket
-rw-r--r-- 1 root       root          4 2010-06-12 00:54 atd.pid
drwxr-xr-x 2 avahi      avahi        80 2010-06-12 00:54 avahi-daemon
drwxr-xr-x 2 root       root         60 2010-06-12 00:54 console
drwxr-xr-x 2 root       root         60 2010-06-12 00:54 ConsoleKit
-rw-r--r-- 1 root       root          4 2010-06-12 00:54 console-kit-daemon.pid
-rw-r--r-- 1 root       root          4 2010-06-12 00:54 crond.pid
---------- 1 root       root          0 2010-06-12 00:54 crond.reboot
drwxr-xr-x 2 messagebus messagebus   80 2010-06-12 00:54 dbus
-rw-r--r-- 1 root       root          4 2010-06-12 00:54 dhclient-eth0.pid
drwx--x--x 4 root       gdm         100 2010-06-12 00:54 gdm
-rw-r--r-- 1 root       root          4 2010-06-12 00:54 gdm.pid
drwxr-xr-x 2 root       root         60 2010-06-12 00:54 network
-rw-r--r-- 1 root       root          3 2010-06-12 00:54 NetworkManager.pid
-rw-r--r-- 1 root       root       1777 2010-06-12 00:54 nm-dhclient-eth0.conf
drwxr-xr-x 4 root       root         80 2010-06-12 00:54 pm-utils
-rw-r--r-- 1 root       root          4 2010-06-12 00:54 rsyslogd.pid
drwxrwxr-x 2 root       utmp         40 2010-06-12 00:54 screen
drwxr-xr-x 2 root       root         40 2010-06-12 00:54 sendsigs.omit.d
drwx------ 3 root       graham       60 2010-06-12 00:56 sudo
drwxr-xr-x 2 root       root         60 2010-06-12 00:54 udev-configure-printer
-rw-r--r-- 1 root       root          4 2010-06-12 00:54 upstart-udev-bridge.pid
-rw-rw-r-- 1 root       utmp       3840 2010-06-12 01:03 utmp

graham@gt-desktop:~$ sudo sh /etc/init.d/proftpd
[sudo] password for graham:

graham@gt-desktop:~$ sudo sh /etc/init.d/proftpd start
 * Starting ftp server proftpd                                                  gt-desktop - 127.0.1.1:22122 masquerading as 80.46.64.185
                                                                         [ OK ]
graham@gt-desktop:~$ ls -l /var/run
total 48
-rw-r--r-- 1 root       root          4 2010-06-12 00:54 acpid.pid
srw-rw-rw- 1 root       root          0 2010-06-12 00:54 acpid.socket
-rw-r--r-- 1 root       root          4 2010-06-12 00:54 atd.pid
drwxr-xr-x 2 avahi      avahi        80 2010-06-12 00:54 avahi-daemon
drwxr-xr-x 2 root       root         60 2010-06-12 00:54 console
drwxr-xr-x 2 root       root         60 2010-06-12 00:54 ConsoleKit
-rw-r--r-- 1 root       root          4 2010-06-12 00:54 console-kit-daemon.pid
-rw-r--r-- 1 root       root          4 2010-06-12 00:54 crond.pid
---------- 1 root       root          0 2010-06-12 00:54 crond.reboot
drwxr-xr-x 2 messagebus messagebus   80 2010-06-12 00:54 dbus
-rw-r--r-- 1 root       root          4 2010-06-12 00:54 dhclient-eth0.pid
drwx--x--x 4 root       gdm         100 2010-06-12 00:54 gdm
-rw-r--r-- 1 root       root          4 2010-06-12 00:54 gdm.pid
drwxr-xr-x 2 root       root         60 2010-06-12 00:54 network
-rw-r--r-- 1 root       root          3 2010-06-12 00:54 NetworkManager.pid
-rw-r--r-- 1 root       root       1777 2010-06-12 00:54 nm-dhclient-eth0.conf
drwxr-xr-x 4 root       root         80 2010-06-12 00:54 pm-utils
drwxr-xr-x 2 root       root        100 2010-06-12 01:04 proftpd
-rw-r--r-- 1 root       root          5 2010-06-12 01:04 proftpd.pid
-rw-r--r-- 1 root       root          4 2010-06-12 00:54 rsyslogd.pid
drwxrwxr-x 2 root       utmp         40 2010-06-12 00:54 screen
drwxr-xr-x 2 root       root         40 2010-06-12 00:54 sendsigs.omit.d
drwx------ 3 root       graham       60 2010-06-12 00:56 sudo
drwxr-xr-x 2 root       root         60 2010-06-12 00:54 udev-configure-printer
-rw-r--r-- 1 root       root          4 2010-06-12 00:54 upstart-udev-bridge.pid
-rw-rw-r-- 1 root       utmp       3840 2010-06-12 01:03 utmp
[/CODE]

What on earth is going on here that this does not work during system startup???!