Telford Town Park
Council staff on the lookout for paedophiles have been ordered to stop and quiz any adults found walking in Telford Town Park without a child, it was revealed today.
Anyone who wants to go to the park but is not accompanied by at least one youngster will have to explain why they are there.
Clearly adults accompanied by youngsters cannot be paedophiles… er…
Telford campaigners battling to retain full public access to the park today branded the policy “draconian” and “authoritarian madness” but the council defended the policy, claiming it had a responsibility to “protect the vulnerable”.
Of course! Won’t somebody think of the children?
The policy came to light after two environmental campaigners dressed as penguins were thrown out of the park last month when caught handing out leaflets on climate change.
Telford & Wrekin Council said Rachel Whittaker and Neil Donaldson of the Wrekin Stop War pressure group were ejected because they had not undergone Criminal Records Bureau checks or risk assessments before entering the park.
Why on earth should one need a CRB check and risk assessment in order to hand out leaflets in a park?
David Ottley, Telford & Wrekin’s sports and recreation manager, said in a letter seen by the Shropshire Star:
“Our Town Park staff approach adults that are not associated with any children in the Town Park and request the reason for them being there.
Obviously paedophiles, being honest and otherwise law-abiding, will admit to being in a park in order to prey on children.
“In particular, this applies to those areas where children or more vulnerable groups gather, such as play facilities and the entrances to play areas. This is a child safety precautionary measure which members of staff will continue to undertake as and when necessary.”
Whether or not it’s a waste of time!
Where are we going with this, and where do we want to end up?
Oh My God in voice of smily
[...] And, as I wrote in September, it isn’t just jobseekers who will be affected (and even those may be wrongly asked about), but volunteer chaperones at school discos, would-be Girl Guide and Scout leaders, and so on – even leafleters in Telford Town Park. [...]