Child safety

Christina: I always remember the school holidays as magical times where I roamed all the place. I would get up in the morning and not come home till late, we had a disused railway line near us that was overgrown and went on for miles, us kids spent all summer there.

My question is, what's changed? Are parents just more aware of the dangers now? Or is the world a more dangerous place. I know children were harmed back in those days but it just seems so much more common now. Little Sarah, Holly and Jessica - it's awful .How can we keep our children safe but still give them the freedom we had as children or is that impossible?

Inspector Tim Bonnett: There are many more dangers - mostly from the busy roads and so on rather than criminals. The key is to recognise dangers when they are there. You know your local area and should show your child where it is safe to play, safe routes to get there and so on. I am not sure that wandering off all day would work - depends on their age and the environment. It would be better if that was the plan that they had a mobile with them so they could be contacted or seek help if needed.

Children need to feel free and happy but also safe. It is a difficult balance but most parents manage it very well. The horror that happened to Sarah, Holly and Jessica is very very unusual. The difference is that everybody hears about crimes like this now, which makes it seem worse.

Marie: My question is more generic - what should our attitude be towards children who aren't our own but for some reason we are concerned about their safety in public places? For instance in shopping centres I often see very young children who are seemingly unescorted. Their parents are usually off somewhere buying shoes or radios or whatever and the kids have wandered off on their own. Some are tiny tots and could easily be snatched. Should we intervene in these situations and approach the children (even if the parents appear eventually and are angry) or should we leave well enough alone? How far should our sense of social responsibility extend to other people's kids?

Inspector Tim Bonnett: This is a tricky one. I saw this many times when on patrol in town centres and got variable responses when I interfered!! The safest response for both parties is to watch the child until an adult returns without approaching.

If you try to take control of the child, the child may become scared, run away and make the situation worse. Alternatively, if a police officer or security guard is around, they may take over the watch from you so you can continue on your way having taken positive action.