News Update

There are two main stories in today's news regarding children.

Tuesday 30th October 2007:

6 months on and the police have taken on a new strategy in trying to find missing Madeleine McCann. The news reports suggest that Madeleine was abducted through her window and they say that it could have happened within a minute.

There has been a second Crime Watch appeal, with a reconstruction of Rhys Jones' last movements before he was killed. As a result of this a new witness from the car park has come forward and they are appealing for the female driver of a red car that drove past at the approximate time of the murder. The police have taken a new line of enquiry involving current technology. They plan on using blue tooth (on mobile phones) to contact people within a 100-mile radius of the pub where Rhys was killed (although this will only work if people have their blue tooth switched on). All these people will receive a text message in the hope to find more witnesses.

26 Schools have been praised for their teaching abilities.

A sideline story was that of trick or treating, how to have a good time, types of costumes and above all BE SAFE!!! Children held up signs saying, "go with an adult", "be polite", "knock once" and "stay in well lit areas". Good advice for tomorrows holiday.

Considering yesterday's news suggesting that we live in a perceived dangerous world it is a little concerning that today's news follows with a story of a child abducted whilst on holiday and another about a boy shot dead by another boy after playing football in the park. Granted these are not new stories, but they are still very much in the forefront of our minds and our thoughts can only be with the families who have suffered.

There is little support for Halloween in England, but it is something that children can enjoy, dressing up and going out, spending time with the adults in their lives away from the TV and video games. Isn't this what we want? Maybe we should embrace the idea of Halloween to some extent. The Scottish have a slight different angle on Halloween where children tell a joke or sing instead of "free handouts" of sugar, tooth decay and E numbers!!!