A CHILD protection charity has urged parents to think carefully before leaving their children unsupervised during the school holidays.
The NSPCC helpline referred 56 calls to police and social services in Warwickshire in 2018-19 amid concerns over youngsters being left home alone.
The charity received over 5,500 contacts about the issue across the UK in the same period – 21 per cent up from the previous year – with a third of them coming during the summer months.
Worried callers reported children being left alone overnight, or left to feed themselves and use dangerous kitchen equipment.
NSPCC helpline manager Louise Exton said: “Summer holidays can be a fun time for children but it is also when they are more likely to be left home alone as parents face increasing childcare pressures.
“Childcare is the biggest cost for families after housing, which could explain why we see a spike in calls to our helpline during these months.
“Parents are best placed to know what is right for their child so it’s vital there is flexibility for them to decide, but we would urge them to think carefully and use their common sense when deciding if their child could cope.”
Visit www.nspcc.org.uk and search ‘home alone’ for guidance on when children can be left unsupervised.
