County youngsters test safety wristband

Children from all over the country are likely to benefit from a new safety device that has been tested in Telford Town Park.

The child safety wristband could enhance security at theme parks, holiday resorts, entertainment complexes, creches, play arenas and health facilities across the UK.

It has been developed by Wolverhampton-based Childminder Security Systems with the help of £20,000 from regional development agency Advantage West Midlands.

And after successful trials at the Wonderland theme park in Telford, the wristband is now set to be taken up nationally.

Childminder's wristband is claimed to be a secure, re-usable reinforced device which enables a parent, carer or guardian to keep tabs on children.

It requires no batteries or physical maintenance and does not rely on new or complex location-tracking, Wi-Fi or radio frequency technology.

Childminder managing director Sally Stallard, a mother of two young children, said: "Our product is more cost effective than comparable alternatives and is the only option to offer real time alerts when a child leaves a venue.

"It also ensures lost children are reunited with parents without distress by linking a child's wristband to the mobile number of their parent or teacher."

Belinda Griffiths, owner and director of Wonderland, said: "We are very proud to be the first leisure venue to implement Childminder's exciting new product.

"It's a success story of two entrepreneurial organisations coming together in the face of the economic downturn to address an important problem for our industry and we are sure that it will not be long before this system becomes commonplace."

She added: "Feedback from our visitors has been excellent."