Demands for 'cruel' show to be taken off air

There were demands today for the controversial Channel 4 programme 'Boys and Girls Alone' to be taken off air, as a group of leading child experts condemned the TV show as cruel.

Some 36 experts, including child psychologists, paediatricians, educationalists and charities, signed a letter to The Times newspaper alleging that the programme - in which a group of 20 children aged eight to 11 have been left to their own devices in isolated cottages in Cornwall, England - contains "child abuse and cruelty".

Meanwhile, Lords children's minister Delyth Morgan has asked officials at the Department for Children, Schools and Families to look at legislation relating to child employment to see whether it needs updating in the light of the row.

Morgan has already written to Channel 4 voicing her concerns.

Social services in Cornwall are considering legal action to stop the final two episodes of the four-part series being aired, after Channel 4 broadcast scenes of children fighting and crying over the past two weeks.

Signatories to today's letter include psychologists Oliver James and Penelope Leach, the president of the Centre for Child Mental Health Richard Bowlby, Great Ormond Street paediatrician Dr Hilary Cass, professor of child health psychology Hilton Davis, philosopher Prof Roger Scruton and children's author Michael Morpurgo.

They called for an urgent investigation into the programme, which they said should be taken off air "before further damage is done".

The letter accused Channel 4 of "plumbing new depths in broadcasting" and descending to "the sort of gladiatorial 'sport' that the Romans so revelled in".

It said: "Entrenched in this programme is a complete lack of empathy to the children taking part; a disturbing lack of understanding of how children develop psychologically, neurologically and socially; and deliberate torment by adults (both making the programme and there as 'chaperones') of children in obvious distress."

The letter-writers said there was "no difference" between Channel 4's decision to film children interacting without the supervision of adults in this way and the case of a Plymouth woman who pleaded guilty to child cruelty in 2007 after filming her toddlers fighting.

The children in 'Boys and Girls Alone' are "clearly unable to cope without the intervention of adults", said the letter.

And it added: "The makers claim a pseudo-scientific justification, but the blunt truth is that such an experiment would never have received ethical approval. Channel 4 is treating human beings with contempt.

"Broadcasters have a responsibility, not just to their viewers and shareholders, but to society as well. With such cruel and illiterate programming they undermine the empathy needed to build a stable society and provide the thin end of the wedge in degenerate programming."

Cornwall County Council's social services department has complained to Channel 4 that it was not consulted about the filming of the programme and that no performing licence was obtained from the council for one of the children involved who is from Cornwall.

A DCSF spokesman today confirmed that ministers had asked departmental officials to look at the laws relating to child employment to see if they need updating. They will report back later in the spring.

It is understood that the legislation being looked at dates back as far as 1933, while regulations on the licensing of child performances were introduced in 1968.

The spokesman said: "Responsibility for what is broadcast on television and radio rests with the broadcasters themselves and the organisations which regulate broadcasting. In this case, this is the Office of Communications (Ofcom), which is independent of Government.

"Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Local Safeguarding Children Board - who are responsible for the welfare of children in the area - have written to Ofcom and C4.

"We understand the LSCB was unaware that the programme was being filmed in Cornwall and that no licence was sought for the child involved who was from Cornwall.

"Delyth Morgan is writing to Channel 4 to express her concern and for C4's response to the issues raised by Cornwall's LSCB on children's welfare."

Channel 4 has denied breaching performance licensing legislation, as "the children are not performing but are being observed".

The channel's head of factual entertainment Andrew Mackenzie said: "All the children were carefully chosen and screened by appropriately qualified experts, including a clinical psychologist, to make sure they could cope well with the experience of being in the series.

"The response from the parents and children to the series has been a very positive one.

"The mums and dads have learnt a huge amount about their children from having the opportunity to see them in this way. Furthermore many parents report more confident and able children following this stimulating and happy experience."