In my newspaper today:
1. Fool Sports Day. Outraged parents have been banned from watching their children at a school sports day in case paedophiles sneaked into the grounds. Mum and Dads were ordered to stay away because organisers insisted they could not guarantee the children's safety. Mum Emma Collett, 33 said: "I'd have taken time off work to support my child. It would have meant a lot to me." Another mother said: "I was told we could not go because there were so many children taking part. "They said they could not estimate how many parents were going to be there and were worried they could not stop someone who should'nt be there from getting in." More than 270 seven and eight- year olds from 20 different schools took part in the long jump, hurdles, sprint, 400 metre, and relay races at Sandy Upper School in Biggleswade, Beds. Organiser Paul Blunt defended the decision, saying: "If we let parents into the school, they would have been free to roam the grounds. An unsavoury character could have come in and we just can't put the children at risk like that. "The ultimate fear is a child is hurt or abducted and we must take all measures possible to prevent that." Nick Seaton, chairman of the Campaign for Real Education, said the ban was unreasonable. He added: "It's clearly a serious misjudgment. One of the great pleasures of sports day is that parents can watch their children.
Stephanie.
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