Do you remember the Fuss over the Dad taking Pictures of His Own Son?

Just to remind you in case you've been on the moon for a few days, a young father took his son on a shopping expedition to a Sunderland Shopping Centre. The lad wanted a ride in one of those machines that rock back and forth and look like Thomas the Tank Engine or a Fire Engine, you know the sort of thing.

Whilst his boy was off in that magical world of 'Make believe' Dad thought it would be a pretty good idea to capture the moment on his camera and started snapping his son. Very quickly he was accosted by a security man who ordered Dad to stop taking pictures immediately. Rather put out by this unwarranted instruction, Dad made his displeasure known and asked why. "Because you may be a paedophile" said the guard, "But he's my son" said Dad and tried to explain, probably very politely, that he was not particularly happy in a) being prevented from taking pictures of his own son and b) being called a paedophile.

However things were about to take a turn for the worse with the arrival of PC Plod, who had been summoned by the shopping centre. PC Plod told Dad that he could delete the 'offending' pictures from Dads camera and that he wanted his name and address. By this time Dad is really beginning to get a bit miffed with the Police Officer, who promptly advised Dad that he would be arrested unless he was very careful! A stupid situation that should have been resolved within about 10 seconds of the security guard coming on scene, let alone the involvement of the police and the threats issued by them.

So what brought all this about? Well there were 2 points here really, one was National Security of course - Dad might have been a terrorist. Well he was armed with a camera, so it's a logical conclusion, isn't it? and the other was that Dad was a paedophile! Well he was armed with a camera, so it's a logical conclusion isn't it?

Which is the reason that the CRB check was introduced. Again for those of you who have been on the moon, a Criminal Record Bureau check is made on an individual who wishes to work with children or vulnerable people. They cost the applicant about £100 for an enhanced check - but must not be confused with any Revenue Generating exercises by the Government. An excellent idea I hear you say, as this must surely stop any child abuse from being carried out by the very people that the children should be able to trust, teachers, priests, youth leaders etc.

Well unfortunately this is not the case. The map above shows the location and number of attacks on children that have been carried out by persons who have a clear CRB record. So what is the value of the CRB. In reality - not a lot. All it does show is that AT THE TIME OF THE CHECK an individual did not have a criminal record. It does not mean to say that a person has never attacked or abused a child or vulnerable person but simply that they have not been caught, yet.

I must repeat of course that this must not be regarded as a Revenue Raising exercise for the Government.