'Cotton-wool kids' kept indoors until they're 14

Denied opportunities to play with friends, a generation of cosseted youngsters is becoming lonely and isolated, according to the study by the Children's Society.

The belief in 14 as the minimum age to be allowed out unsupervised is widespread, despite 39 per cent of those questioned having been allowed out alone from age ten or younger during their own childhood.

Forty-three per cent of adults polled said 14 was the optimum age for children to be allowed out on their own for the first time, with just 17 per cent saying they would give free rein to youngsters of ten or under.

Respondents over 60 appeared to be most concerned, perhaps reflecting their perceptions of how the world has changed since their childhood.

The survey of more than 1,000 adults was carried out before the recent abduction of toddler Madeleine McCann while on holiday with her parents in Portugal, which may have further heightened fears for children's safety.

The findings renew fears that children are being brought up in a 'cotton-wool culture' which stunts their emotional and social development.

The Children's Society, which is part-way through a major inquiry into the state of childhood, warned that boys and girls are missing out on crucial early friendships because they are no longer meeting playmates outdoors.

Experts giving evidence to the Childhood Inquiry stressed the importance of allowing children freedom to play with peers.

It helped them 'practise making and consolidating friendships and deal with conflict', they said.

Children who were isolated from peers were at greater risk of becoming depressed, over-aggressive, antisocial and delinquent, it was claimed.

Solitary pursuits such as playing computer games also had a negative impact on children's ability to interact with others, according to the inquiry's interim report on friendship.

'Flexible' childcare trends, where children are shuttled between several minders, also came under fire, as such arrangements had a tendency to "limit the opportunities for young children to meet each other on a regular basis and restrict the opportunities to create long-lasting, deep friendships".

At the same time, friendships appear to be changing, with teenagers nowadays more likely to report having no best friends - almost a fifth - than they did in 1986, when the proportion was one in eight.

Bob Reitemeier, chief executive of the Children's Society, said: "As a society we are in a real quandary: on the one hand we want freedom for our children but on the other we are becoming increasingly frightened to let them out.

"All the research shows that spending time with friends is fundamental to children's wellbeing and development, which means it is crucial that we resolve this contradiction."