Child protection laws are 'poisoning the relationships between adults and children'

A torrent of legislation in recent years  -  particularly since the 2002 Soham murders  -  means that a quarter of all adults in Britain will soon have to pass the 'paedophile test' before being allowed to interact with any children except their own.

But the checks by the Criminal Records Bureau and the rise in other regulation has fuelled an atmosphere of suspicion, left adults afraid to intervene or take responsibility and eroded traditional social bonds.

Abigail Rae, 2, drowned in a garden pond after wandering off from her playgroup

In addition, the safety which it supposedly offers children is a fantasy, according to a report by the independent think-tank Civitas.

The study, titled Licensed To Hug, offers a damning analysis of the effect of Labour's child-protection policies.

Author Frank Furedi, Professor of Sociology at the University of Kent, calls for an urgent review of the burgeoning 'child protection industry' and of the unintended consequences of the regulations and rules which were meant to improve children's lives.

Traditionally, children have had contact with a whole range of adults besides their parents, the study argues, who have helped 'socialise' youngsters  -  from sports coaches and teachers to Scout masters, bus drivers and ordinary passers-by who help if they are lost or in trouble.

But the growing importance of CRB checks has left many adults afraid to intervene, to take up voluntary posts working with children, or to use their common sense in deciding who their children can spend time with.

'In an atmosphere of mistrust, in which adults suspect other adults and children are taught to suspect anyone other than their parents, there is a feeling that it is best not to become involved,' the report warns.

CRB checks have turned into a massive and costly industry.

The bureau has carried out 15million checks since it was set up in 2002, costing well over half a billion pounds, and the checks now take up 92,000 working days a year  -  placing a serious burden on many small voluntary groups.

The system sends negative signals to children, the report argues, breeding mistrust and undermining adult authority.

But it also breeds mistrust among adults  -  with parents increasingly demanding the reassurance of CRB checks instead of using their own judgment.

15million checks have been carried out by the CRB
since it was set up in 2002

Fears that they might be mistaken for a paedophile, the study warns, has left many adults questioning whether they would intervene in a playground fight, help a lost child find their way home, pick up and comfort a toddler who fell over or offer basic first aid to someone else's child in a public park.

Yet in reality CRB checks and rules offer a 'ritual of security' rather than genuine safety, the report argues, because CRB checks cover past convictions and cannot predict future behaviour.

It points out that CRB checks would probably not have stopped Ian Huntley murdering Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman in Soham, because he had no previous convictions at the time.

The Civitas report also cites the case of Cleveland coastguard Paul Waugh, who climbed down a cliff in high winds to rescue a child without waiting for a safety harness and was later severely criticised for breaching health and safety regulations, and eventually resigned in disgust.

The report urges the Government to 'halt the juggernaut of regulation' by ordering a review of child protection laws and their real impact on society.

The study was published as the CRB released its latest figures, claiming that it blocked 20,000 'unsuitable workers' from getting jobs with children or vulnerable adults last year, taking its total to 80,000 in four years.