CHILDREN should be seen and not heard is an old fashioned saying, which our Government seems to stand by.

What are they afraid of? Our children need protecting, not left to one side. Let them have a voice, let them be heard, we need our children, our children need a commissioner in England. So why does the Government throw out year after year, the one thing they need.

Its not only the children in care who need love, help and support. Even my own children need to know there is someone out there speaking for them. Making it a safer, more secure place to live and play.

A Child Rights Director which the Government is promoting, is great! But this only covers the 200,000 children living in care. What about the hundreds of thousands of other children? Dont they have a voice, shouldnt anyone care about them.

Sex attacks, murders and abuse dont only happen in care, it happens to those who have secure happy homes too.

A commissioner can have the power to promote and fight to make this a safer place. Let our children have a commissioner then our slogan can be: Children CAN be seen AND heard, and NOT be scared.

Miss T Richards

Devonshire Road

Forest Hill