'Robocop' proposes child removal

The ex-police chief says his proposal would deter criminals

The Mayor of Middlesbrough, Ray Mallon, has called for the children of persistent criminals to be taken into care to save them from a life of crime.

He told the Sunday Sun newspaper such drastic action would stop some children following in their parents' footsteps.

Mr Mallon, who was elected mayor in 2002, said: "Socialising someone to become a criminal is abusive."

The former Cleveland Police officer was dubbed Robocop for his zero-tolerance approach to policing.

Deterrent

Mr Mallon said his proposal would act like a deterrent to criminal families to change their ways.

He told the Sunday Sun: "You can take children away from parents if there is sexual, emotional and physical abuse.

"So, if you have a family that deals drugs in front of their children or a family that through their criminal activities are not giving the kids the best chance in life, then we should go to the courts and apply for the children to be taken from them."

Mr Mallon sprang to prominence when he brought his tough policing model to Britain from the US as head of CID in Middlesbrough during the 1990s, before embarking on a political career.

Parenting courses

Mr Mallon, who said he only intended his suggestion for use in "worst-case scenarios", said his proposal was inspired by three decades of arresting the children and grandchildren of criminals.

"Taking a child off a family and putting them into care in itself affects their life chances," he said.

"But sometimes the situation is so bad that leaving them in the care of their criminal families affects these life chances far more severely than taking them into care," Mr Mallon added.

He also called for parenting skills courses as a way of helping families to educate their children.