Letter: Safety first

Sir: I couldn't agree with Diana Lamplugh (letter, 26 January) more. Being the single mother of three children who also works full time, I allow my children to walk home from school every night. While the media has a job to do reporting incidents which occur rarely, these incidents are blown out of all proportion, resulting in parents keeping their children wrapped in a mythical blanket of security.

Children who are constantly shielded from the harmful side of life lack the ability to detect or sense trouble in its infancy. These skills have to be gently taught and firmly put in perspective.

If more parents, teachers and adults in general would help children to look out for their own safety, not only would there be safety in numbers but lone, unhappy children would not be so easy to target.

Stop making it easy for the unspeakable to happen by blinding yourselves and your children to the world of reality by taking away their independence, and making the streets unsafe for everyone.

BEVERLEY SMITH

Sheffield