Health and safety 'extremists' damaging children's development

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents said it was "positively necessary" for youngsters to take part in activities which could lead to a twisted ankle or cut knee.

Instead, said chief executive Tom Mullarkey, they were being cosseted by "small-minded bureaucrats".

He said officials should concentrate on making Britain "as safe as necessary, not as safe as possible".

Mr Mullarkey said: "People have this perception of 'elf and safety' as something that restricts your life, rather than helping you to live fully and successfully.

"We do not believe in extremist health and safety ideas which would keep children wrapped in cotton wool. Our argument is that a skinned knee or a twisted ankle in a challenging and exciting play environment is not just acceptable, it is a positive necessity.

"We need to prepare our children for a complex, dangerous world in which healthy, robust activity is more a national need than ever before."

Rospa's intervention reflects the growing belief that a safety-first attitude is damaging our children.

Last year, a Government-backed study found teachers are so scared of being sued if a class day out goes wrong they are taking pupils on "trips" in the school grounds.

Author Alan Pearce has also collated examples of extreme health and safety rules for his book, Playing It Safe: The Crazy World of Britain's Health and Safety Regulations.

These include swings being removed in one playground in case children were blinded by the sun, and pupils being banned from cycling to school because local roads were too narrow.

Mr Mullarkey also warned health and safety rules were being used as a cover for cost-cutting. He said he had heard of one case where a swimming pool was closed for 'health and safety reasons' when, in fact, it was because the roof was falling in and there was no cash to fix it.

Cases of teachers being chastised for flouting the health and safety rulebook routinely hit the headlines.

Earlier this year, teacher Margaret Fields was reprimanded for taking pupils on a picnic lunch without carrying out a risk assessment.