Fewer children left home alone in Shropshire

Five families were referred to police, children's services or social services by the NSPCC in 2015/16, down from 11 the previous year.

The cases were passed on to the authorities after calls were made to the NSPCC helpline.

The case shows a major drop from previous years, with 10 referrals made in 2013/14.

Though figures were not available for Telford & Wrekin this year, numbers had been dropping, with two cases in 2014/15, compared to eight in 2013/14.

The charity has warned parents to think carefully before they leave their children alone.

A total of 1,883 referrals were made by the NSPCC across England and Wales last year, an increase from 1,826 the year before.

And last year the NSPCC helpline took 2,489 calls from adults concerned that children were being left unattended.

Some 888 of these – 36 per cent – happened in the school summer holidays.

The figures paint a different picture to the situation in the West Midlands, where the number of referrals is going up.

The total number of referrals is gradually rising, from 60 in 2013/14, to 64 in 2014/15 and 68 in 2015/16. In 2015/16, there were 12 in Wolverhampton, up from 11, and 23 in Staffordshire, down from 27.

Karol Keenan, NSPCC service manager in the West Midlands, said: "Leaving children home alone can put them at risk of harm which could result in serious consequences.

"Although there's no legal minimum age for leaving children alone at home, the law says that you shouldn't leave children home alone if they'll be at risk. We don't believe it's acceptable to leave babies, toddlers or very young children for any length of time.

"Children mature at different rates, so it's vital there is some flexibility for parents in making these decisions, but talking to children about whether they feel OK being left alone and asking yourself questions like 'would they know what to do in an emergency?' are helpful to parents to help them think about making these decisions.

"The NSPCC has advice for parents who are thinking of leaving their children home alone which you can find at NSPCC.org.uk."

Anyone with concerns about a child can contact the 24-hour NSPCC helpline on 0808 800 5000. And parents are also urged to call if they need advice about leaving children alone.