pidgin's audio connection frequently get's "hung up"

[brian@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (Brian J. Murrell)]

I am finding that frequently, on Ubuntu Intrepid (pulseaudio 
0.9.10-2ubuntu9.2), pidgin (1:2.5.2-0ubuntu1) will play one of it's 
sounds through the pulseaudio server but the connection will not end with 
the end of the sound as it normally does -- as evidenced by the volume 
control.

Normally the volume control only shows pidgin in the Playback tab for as 
long as the sound sample lasts, and that works for a while but 
eventually, the Playback tab will have pidgin listed in there permanently 
and pidgin is no longer able to play sounds via pulseaudio any more.  I 
have to restart pidgin to rectify this.

Any ideas what the problem is or how to go about providing enough info to 
debug it?

b.